There is a dilemma out in the cooking world surrounding pumpkins. Does a fresh roasted pumpkin puree have a leg over a can sitting on the shelf? Or does the famous canned pumpkin simply make a better pie? So, in good spirits, I wanted to find out for myself. And here is what I’ve learned.

I picked up a large Jarrahdale pumpkin and several small Sugar Pie pumpkins from the local farmers market. And from my internet research on Libby’s canned pumpkin, I found that they use a “special variety of pumpkin” that is actually more like a squash than a pumpkin. So I found some Delicata squash to use as well.

So what was the plan? 3 pies – one fresh pumpkin, one fresh squash, and one canned. To provide a constant in the experiment, I used the same Cook’s Illustrated crust and Libby’s famous pumpkin pie recipe for each pie.

Same crust, same sugar and spices, same amount of loving put into creation.
The ONLY difference was the vegetable – pumpkin or squash.

Cut. Scoop. Bake. Cool. Scoop. Drain. Blend. That’s really all it takes to make fresh pumpkin puree, with an added bonus of roasted pumpkin seeds. Ok, it IS a little bit more intense than “easy as pie,” but it’s not more work than say, canning fruit or vegetables. And I do enjoy spending time in the kitchen and trying new things. However, it’s a lot more effort than turning the can opener.

The taste test:

Pie 1: Fresh Delicata squash
Pie 2: Fresh blend of Jarrahdale and Sugar Pie
Pie 3: Libby’s canned 100% pumpkin

And the results:

Pie 1: Hmm, is this the canned one? Pretty darn yummy, but a bit firm.
Pie 2: Hold on one minute, did someone put VEGETABLES in my PIE?!
Pie 3: Yummm. This creamy pie reminds me of mom’s pie after turkey.

Lesson learned:

“Tastes better” is all relative to your personal definition. (And your choice of pie texture).

After the recent Brasitas wine tasting dinner, I was inspired by their fried plantains and salsa. So I went out, found plantains, and fried them up. The hardest part of the whole process was peeling the suckers. The thick skin is nothing like a banana and takes quiet a lot of effort. Very much worth it though.

The slightly sweet flavor of the plantains complements the spicy flavor of the salsa very nicely. It is a fun twist on the normal “chips and salsa” and will definitely be served for friends.

Like it or not, Autumn is here to stay. And winter is not to far off either. So enjoy the chilled rainy days with a little harvesty sweet. It puts a smile on everyones face.

This pumpkin bread is not too sweet and not too savory … just perfect. The recipe makes 1 large loaf or 2 smaller ones. I also like baking it in tiny loaf pans for a quick single-serving snack.

Cream Sherry-Pumpkin Bread
(via The Bread Bible by Beth Hensperger)

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
15oz can pumpkin purée
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
          * Original recipe calls for walnut, almond or sunflower, but canola worked just fine
2 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tbsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp of each cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger
- or -
2 tsp pumpkin spice (Penzeys pumpkin spice has cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, mace, cloves)
          * Original recipe calls for 2/3 tsp of each cinnamon, cloves and coriander
1/4 cup cream port or sherry

Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a loaf pan. In a mixer, beat together the sugars, pumpkin, eggs and oil until smooth. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Then add to wet ingredients and mix. Pour in the sherry or port and beat ‘vigorously’ until well blended, about 1 to 2 minutes. Spoon batter into greased pan, filling no more than 3/4 full. Bake in center oven for 45 to 60 minutes until top is crusty with one long crack and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes (important!) then remove and cool completely on wire rack.