Category: 2014

You can use pie pumpkins or winter squash to make this pie. I used a butternut squash, but any winter squash or pie pumpkin you have will be 100X better than a pie make with a can of pumpkin.
When you roast and puree your own squash for pie the flavor is deepened from the roasting. Pumpkin from a tin taste raw and one dimensional. Roasting your own squash adds a deep rich sweetness and the flesh is more dense and silky. This is much like a traditional pumpkin pie, but not as sweet. I use much less sugar because the flavor of the squash is so great on it’s own. I add a crumble topping sometimes. It’s optional but delicious. I made two this weekend for a family get-together and the pie made with the crumble topping was gone first.

I doubled the recipe and made one with crumble and one without.  I took this photo to show what they should look like when the pies are just cooked through, they are slightly puffy all the way to the middle and have a slight dull sheen when done.

Close up of the pie with the crumble.

Winter Squash Pie
Ingredients

1 winter squash or pie pumpkin, (about 2 1/4 pounds) roasted. You need 2 cups total of roasted squash
1/2 cup 1/2 & 1/2 or cream
1/2 cup to 1 cup (light or dark) brown sugar depending on how sweet you like it
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves and a pinch of salt

Topping
1/4 cup each  flour and oats
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons chopped nuts
1 pie crust, frozen of store bought is ok.

• To roast squash position oven rack to lowest setting. Preheat oven to 400°.
  Place squash, cut sides down, on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° 30 minutes or until squash is tender.
• Cool slightly, and peel. Mash pulp to measure 2 cups. Combine the pulp and 1/2 and 1/2 or cream in a food processor; process until smooth.
• Add brown sugar and next 5 ingredients (through cloves); process until really smooth.
• Increase oven temperature to 425°
• If you are using crumble combine flour and brown sugar in a medium bowl; cut in butter using two knives or a pastry blender. Add pecans; toss to combine and set aside.
• Roll out pie dough and fit into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate.
• Pour squash mixture into prepared crust. Place pie plate on bottom rack; bake at 425° for 20 minutes.
• Remove pie from oven if using crumble after 20 minutes and sprinkle topping mixture over the filling.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350° whether using crumble or not to finish baking.
• Return pie plate to bottom rack; bake an additional 40 to 50 minutes or until center is set. The top photo shows the pies are cooked through. They are slightly puffy all the way to the middle and have a dull sheen when the are cooked through.

When I roast a squash or a pumpkin I like to roast the seeds along with the squash. It is sort of a bonus snack. Roasting the seeds isn’t much trouble and you are heating the oven for roasting anyway.
I used to just rinse the seeds to get rid of the pulp, toss them with oil and salt and roast them. The hulls were tough and I felt like I had to crack open the seed hull and take out the seed germ.
I started to boil the seeds in salted water first and I really like the result. Boiling the seeds first softens the outer hull and the inside seed has more flavor. Boiling makes the whole seed easily eatable and very tasty.
Give this method of roasting seeds a try if you haven’t yet. I think you will be happy.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Rinse seeds in cold water and remove the stringy pulp.
Simmer seeds the rinsed seeds in salted salt for 10 minutes.
Toss the seeds with just enough oil to lightly coat them.
Salt generously and add other seasonings like garlic powder, curry powder, or taco seasoning.

Spread the seeds on a baking sheet and roast 45 minutes at 400F degrees, shaking occasionally.

Cool and store in an air-tight container.

It is soup season. I am sure all of us have more than a few butternut squash, or pumpkin soups in our future over the next few months. Most recipes have you cook your squash and start with a pulp. This means two preparations, one for the squash, the other for the added vegetables to make up the balance of the soup.
I have started to roast all the ingredients called for at the same time and pretty much do away with any recipe, just use what you have.
This does a couple things. It saves dishes and time, and it also adds flavor to your end dish because any juices from your ingredients are pooled in the squash.
Here are a few pictures to show you what I mean. You can use this method on just about any squash or pumpkin recipe.

First I scoop out the innards of my pumpkin and fill the cavity with the ingredients of the dish I want to make. With this pumpkin I am making a soup. I have a couple of onions, apples, some garlic and ginger. I covered the whole thing with a glug of olive oil and some salt and pepper and some curry powder.

I baked the whole thing in a 400F degree oven for about an hour. The size of your squash or pumpkin might make the times vary a little. Start checking if the squash is done after an hour.

When it is done, just proceed with your dish or recipe. Just look at the delicious juices from all the added ingredients that would have been lost.

I am going to scoop all this out of the shell and puree the whole thing with some coconut milk for a really easy meal. I just added a squeeze of lime to brighten the dish up and it was done. Hands on time was about 10 minutes for this meal.

Fall is here. I know that because spaghetti squash is here.
I wrote a blog last year how to cook spaghetti squash

I wanted to add a couple more ideas on how to use your squash.
How about making some hash browns?
Just follow the directions from the previous post on how to microwave the squash. When it is done enough to pull out of the shell quickly brown the squash in a lightly oiled pan.

This is really good. I think I like it better than potato hash browns.

This next idea is almost like the original post, but I like the presentation of this dish better. When the squash was done I loosed the insides and topped it with tomatoes and cheese, rather than taking the squash meat out of the shell to serve it.
I topped it with some tomatoes and cheese, you could use any topping you like here; think pizza toppings!

Just melt the toppings under a broiler and serve family style.

Have fun and enjoy our fall harvest.