By Halloween, which I observe modestly: a carved pumpkin from the garden, a bowl of candy for the few kids who make it up the drive, which is usually three or four from the neighbors' families. The Hendersons' grandchildren come every year. I like seeing them in their costumes — this year a pirate and a dinosaur — at the door. It's a small seasonal thing. It's enough to be a small seasonal thing.
The pumpkin carving was its own satisfaction. I've been doing it with kitchen tools rather than the dedicated carving sets, which means it takes longer and comes out more interesting. This year's design was a simple geometric pattern that Helen might have called overthought but which I found pleasing. The lit candle through the pattern on the dark porch: worth the afternoon.
Made braised pork shoulder this week — an eight-hour affair in the Dutch oven with apple cider and onions and thyme. The kind of dish that perfumes the house all day and rewards the patience you gave it. I ate it over two days with egg noodles and felt nothing but the satisfaction of having made something that worked correctly.
The blog has been getting autumn traffic — people finding the maple posts, the preservation posts, the farm notes from the year. Someone shared the butternut squash soup post and it found a wider audience than usual. I got comments and messages from people who'd never found the blog before. I wrote back to each of them. That's the part of the writing that takes time but that I'm not willing to stop doing. When someone takes the time to say a piece of your writing meant something, you take the time to respond. That seems like a basic courtesy.
The braised pork shoulder had done its work over eight hours, and the house still carried the smell of cider and thyme when I turned my attention to dessert. I’d had a Hubbard squash sitting on the counter since early October — heavier and earthier than a sugar pumpkin, but that’s exactly what I wanted. With the Henderson grandchildren’s visit behind me and the carved pumpkin still lit on the porch, making this pie felt like the right way to close out a day that had been, in all the ways that matter, enough.
Hubbard Squash Pie
Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust
- 2 cups Hubbard squash puree (from roughly 2 lbs roasted squash)
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare the squash. Preheat oven to 375°F. Halve the Hubbard squash, scoop out seeds, and place cut-side down on a lined baking sheet. Roast for 45–55 minutes until flesh is completely tender. Scoop out the flesh and puree in a food processor or blender until smooth. Measure out 2 cups and allow to cool slightly.
- Prepare the crust. Fit the unbaked pie crust into a 9-inch pie pan and crimp the edges. Refrigerate while you make the filling.
- Mix the filling. In a large bowl, whisk together the squash puree, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves until fully combined. Add the beaten eggs, evaporated milk, and vanilla extract, and whisk until the filling is smooth and uniform.
- Fill and bake. Pour the filling into the chilled crust. Bake at 375°F for 50–60 minutes, until the edges are set and the center jiggles only slightly when the pan is nudged. If the crust edges brown too quickly, cover them with foil or a pie shield after the first 20 minutes.
- Cool before slicing. Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before slicing. The filling will continue to set as it cools. Serve at room temperature or chilled, with whipped cream if desired.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 285 | Protein: 6g | Fat: 10g | Carbs: 44g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 230mg