2009.11.04
Front Burner: Good Gourds
Every year, "Peanuts" character Linus waits around for a Great Pumpkin who never shows. This year, grocery store shoppers were almost in a similar predicament.
Fortunately, the Great Canned Pumpkin Shortage of 2009 was over before panic and dismay began to set in. After all, what would Thanksgiving and Christmas be without a golden brown slice of pumpkin pie?
At the risk of sounding too maternal, I will say that this little scare creates a perfect learning opportunity -- in the absence of canned pumpkin, one can still create a delicious pie with just a few tricks and tips.
First, the lowdown on the shortage.
Click here to read the rest of the column.
See steps for turning a whole winter squash into pie filling, as well as a squash custard pie recipe, here.
My mom is baking a butternut squash from the co-op after reading your article and she keeps calling and telling me how delicious it smells! She said it smells just like a pumpkin and she hasn't even added spices yet. Yum!
Comment by Michelle — November 5, 2009 @ 7:22 pm