Fall means tasty veggies, homemade pumpkin pie
October 7, 2009
By Tim Pfarr
The days grow shorter, the air grows colder, and the leaves turn red and fall to the ground. Yes, it’s fall again. But what some people don’t realize is that fall is actually a good time to start growing your own produce, not to mention a fantastic time to make homemade pumpkin pie.“It’s a good time for cool-season veggies,” said Heather Bradley, certified horticultural plantswoman with Newcastle Fruit and Produce.
She said cool-season veggies include beets, lettuce, broccoli, carrots, bulbing onions, radishes, spinach, kale and Swiss chard, and it’s not too late to plant, although there are only a few weeks left. Bradley said these vegetable can be planted from September through mid-October.
Home-grown veggies can be planted in colorful pots.
Bradley said as a typical rule of thumb, these plants begin to produce vegetables in one to two months. She also highly recommends using organic compost because of the rich nutrients it provides.
“Veggies like lots of it,” Bradley said regarding nutrients provided by organic compost. “They like it rich.”
These vegetables can also grow in pots and containers, and Bradley recommends low, shallow pots for best results.
Fall is also the absolute best time to plant a fruit tree or shrub.
“They can put all their energy into growing roots all winter long,” Bradley said regarding fruit trees and shrubs.
Planting these shrubs and trees in fall makes them stronger the following year, she said. However, one can expect a three- to five-year wait before a tree or shrub begins madly producing fruit.
Bradley said good fruits to plant include cherries, blueberries, apples, Asian pears and plums. She said other fun fruits to grow in Washington are fuyu persimmon, which she said have “beautiful fall colors”; quince, which is great for jams and pies; figs — especially the “violetta” variety — which ripen quickly; and hardy kiwi, which comes from a vine that can be grown along a fence.
Plant each of these trees and shrubs with a good, low-nitrogen fertilizer and water well with at least five gallons of water, she said. Then, water the plant or shrub until thoroughly soaked at least once a week until the weather begins providing an inch of rain a week.
Fall’s favorite ‘fruit’
But what about some warm food? It is getting colder after all, right? Homemade pumpkin pie anyone?
The first step in making homemade pumpkin pie is making pumpkin purée, which acts as the dish’s foundation.
First, one must purchase sugar pie pumpkins, typically smaller than regular pumpkins. One sugar pie pumpkin will yield two to three cups of pumpkin purée. Next, gut the pumpkin and remove the stem, and cook it in the oven or on the stovetop.
In the oven, place the pumpkin skin side down in a roasting pan filled with two inches of water, and cook it at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes or until it is soft. To cook the pumpkin on a stovetop, cut the pumpkin into large chunks and steam the chunks over boiling water in a saucepan for 25-30 minutes or until it is fork-tender.
Finally, let the pumpkin cool slightly, remove the skin and purée the pumpkin in a food processor until it is smooth. Pumpkin purée can be frozen, too, so be sure to make a lot so you can enjoy homemade pumpkin pie year round.
Now, it’s time to make the pie. For a single pie, you’ll need:
- two cups of pumpkin purée
- two to three eggs (two if you want a firmer pie)
- one-half cup heavy cream or evaporated milk
- one-half cup packed dark brown sugar
- one-fourth teaspoon allspice or cloves
- one-half teaspoon fresh ground cinnamon or nutmeg
- one teaspoon ginger
- one half-teaspoon kosher salt
- one nine-inch refrigerated or frozen pie crust.
Begin by lightly beating the eggs and then add all of the other ingredients (except the pie crust, of course). Then, pour the mixture into the crust and bake it at 375 degrees for 45-55 minutes, or until it is firm.
Finally, cool the pie on a rack and serve it chilled or at room temperature.
Now, then, who’s hungry?
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