If you are looking for a vegan option to serve on Thanksgiving, this beautiful, and delicious edible pumpkin adds both the excitement of carving and the warm nutritiousness that makes for a beautiful memory. Look for an edible or fairy pumpkin, which will have sweet, melt in your mouth flesh. Forget the turkey, this will be the new star of your table!  Serves 6.  Easy to make ahead.  Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

• 5-10 pound edible pumpkin (fairy, Cinderella, heirloom, long island cheese, etc)

• 3 tablespoons EVOO

• 1 ½ cups Italian farro

• 4 cups vegetable stock

• 1 carrot, chopped

• 2 celery stalks, chopped

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, chopped

• 1 pound shiitake mushrooms, sliced

• ½ pound cremini mushrooms, sliced

• 4 cups kale, chopped

• ¼ cup miso paste

• 1 cup fresh parsley, chopped

• kosher salt

• freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Cut the top off of the pumpkin, as you would for a jack-o-lantern type pumpkin.

3. Scoop out seeds and pulp and discard.

4. Place pumpkin and lid, cut sides down on foil covered baking sheet, and cover with more foil.

5. Roast for about 1 hour until tender.

6. Prepare farro in a pot. according to directions, using vegetable stock instead of water.

7. Heat EVOO in heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat.

8. Add onions, carrots and celery and cook stirring regularly, about 3 minutes.

9. Add mushrooms, kale, miso and garlic and cook, stirring often, until all vegetables are tender.

10. Season well with salt and pepper.

11. Turn off heat, add cooked farro and parsley, stir to combine.

12. Remove tender pumpkin from oven.

13. Trim tender flesh from lid and stir into stuffing mixture, then fill pumpkin cavity with stuffing.

14. Return stuffed pumpkin to oven, leaving lid aside (not in oven).

15. Bake an additional 15 minutes or until completely heated through.

16. To serve carve table side adding stuffing and a slice of pumpkin to each plate.