PUMPKIN

Wild Word Friday!

PUMPKIN!  As in pie!  This is a great little word – all right, middle sized word – that comes to us via the Latin word, pepo, and then through Middle French popon or pompon to English.  It means “cooked by the sun”, which is appropriate since we don’t eat PUMPKINs during their green stage – like acorn squash, for example.  We eat them when they are fully ripe.

I love to make PUMPKIN pie from fresh PUMPKIN rather than canned.  Years ago, I found an old recipe from a locally published cookbook for fresh PUMPKIN pie and have used it ever since.  I’m guessing this recipe (or as they said in those days around here, reeceep) is from the really olden days when you always grew your own  PUMPKINs or graciously accepted them from your neighbor.

Fresh PUMPKIN Pie:

Cut a small PUMPKIN in half, discard seeds and bake cut side down in a medium (350 F. ) oven.

1 1/2 cup cooked PUMPKIN

1 1/2 cup rich milk  (I use evaporated milk or half and half.)

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ginger

2 tablespoons melted butter

Beat ingredients together until smooth.  (I use a blender.) Pour into an unbaked 10 inch pie shell.  Bake at 400 F. for 10 minutes.  Reduce heat to 325 F. and bake until  silver knife comes out of  center of pie clean.

Enjoy!

Blessings!  Sue