Squashy Pumpkin Pie

Squashy Pumpkin Pie

Dorcas Annette Walker

We just celebrated our annual Pumpkin Festival that draws crowds in from all over the southeast. During this time the tiny town of Allardt bursts with all kinds of watermelons, squash, long gourds, sunflower heads, corn stalks, and other vegetables that are weighed and competed for cash prizes. So far the largest pumpkin has weighed in at 1,112 pounds. Now that’s what you call a lot of pumpkin! Autumn is filled with all sizes and shapes of pumpkins signaling the end of the harvest season. Even the harvest moon is symbolized by its round orange color in the fall.

Pumpkins originated in Central America and were used for years by the Native Americans, but it was the colonists who changed the name pumpion into pumpkin that we use today. Native Americans flattened strips of pumpkin, dried them, and used them for mats while the seeds were used for food and medicine. The colonists were the first to create the pumpkin pie by slicing off the top, removing the seeds, filling the inside with milk, spices, and honey. This was slowly cooked over a fire using the pumpkin shell as a crust.

Pumpkins are ninety percent water, classified as fruit, and contain potassium and vitamin A. Pumpkins are quite versatile. Farmers use pumpkins as feed for animals, seeds can be roasted and eaten as a snack, the flower is edible, and there are oodles of recipes for pumpkin pies, cakes, breads, soups, and even puddings. The largest pumpkin pie ever made was over five feet in diameter and weighed over three hundred fifty pounds. It used eighty pounds of cooked pumpkin, thirty-six pounds of sugar, twelve dozen eggs, and took six hours to bake. I’m just glad I wasn’t the one rolling out the crust!

My brainstorm of creating the Squashy Pumpkin Pie came one day while noticing all the frozen containers of pureed summer yellow squash stacked in my freezer. I pondered how I could use my bounty besides making soups. I had originally planned on making a pumpkin pie, but on an impulse decided to substitute squash. To my delight no one could tell the difference even when I tried it out on company. After giving the crust a nutty twist my Squashy Pumpkin Pie was born and quickly became popular at our Sunday evening get-to-gethers at the parsonage. Everyone vied to guess if my pumpkin pie was really pumpkin or squash. Even the youth got involved tasting and trying to guess the main ingredient. In fact I tend to put up more squash than pumpkin as pumpkins have harder shells to cut through and peel. If you are tired of the standard pumpkin pie try my Squashy Pumpkin Pie recipe this Thanksgiving.

My Squashy Pumpkin Pie can use either squash or pumpkin and makes a good dessert year round. From the nutty crust topped by a creamy mild spicy taste my Squashy Pumpkin Pie is an excellent way to finish off a holiday meal. Preparation time for the Squashy Pumpkin Pie is twenty-five minutes plus baking time and this recipe makes one pie.

Squashy Pumpkin Pie

Pie Crust:
1 c self-rising flour
½ c shortening
1 egg
¼ c cold water
1 tb chopped fine pecans
Mix ingredients with a fork until a soft ball forms. Roll dough out thin on a floured surface. Place in a 10 inch baking pie dish.

Whip together with a Wisk:
2 c cooked squash/pumpkin
1 c sugar
2 eggs
Mix together in a half of cup of water:
2 tb cornstarch
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp ginger
¼ tsp allspice
¼ tsp ground cloves
Add to pumpkin mixture. Then add 1 c evaporated milk and mix together until well blended. Pour into pie crust, sprinkle cinnamon on top, and bake at 350º for 45 minutes to 1 hour until center is firm. Chill and serve. May garnish with a dollop of cool whip!

Weekly tip: To put up squash or pumpkin: peel, cut into chunks, and put into a large pan. Add water to cover the bottom of the pan and cook until soft. Place cooked squash/pumpkin in a blender and puree. The squash/pumpkin can then be canned or frozen!

Dorcas Annette Walker is a published author, columnist, speaker, freelance magazine writer, and photographer from Jamestown, Tennessee. Contact her at: dorcaswalker@twlakes.net. For more recipes check out her Creative Mountain Cookin page at: www.dorcasannettewalker.com

Heavenly Yam/Pumpkin

Heavenly Yam/Pumpkin

Dorcas Annette Walker

I love recipes that are versatile. Being able to use a recipe in a couple of different ways always fires up my imagination- not that my family thinks I need any help in that department. My sister and I attribute being raised on the edge of poverty to what shaped our artistic minds. I feel sorry for today’s modern child surrounded by technical gadgets that do all kinds of marvelous things at the touch of a button leaving no scope for imagination. Parents often are deceived into thinking that their child will not develop properly without the latest invention on the market. In my day children didn’t expect to be entertained. Instead we were told to go outside and play. On a nice day when I wasn’t helping my brother dig an underground house or construct a teepee out of branches, I was busy setting up my bakery. My main supplies were an empty tin can, water, dirt, and a long board. My fingers learned to shape perfectly formed ridged pie crusts and I made the most delightful looking culinary confections decorated with wild flowers. My imagination transferred over into the real world when I was introduced to the kitchen at a young age. Today I delight in seeking out facts about food and experimenting in the kitchen.

Although people interchangeably use sweet potato or yam, depending on which part of the country you are from, there are distinct differences between the two. A yam shares more traits with a daylily and are considered tubers along with potatoes. True yams have white flesh and are starchier and sweeter than sweet potatoes, although they contain less vitamin A and C. Found mostly in Latin American and Caribbean markets, yams are sold in chunks sealed in plastic wrap. The water yam cultivated in Southeast Asia can grow up to eight feet long and weight over one hundred pounds. There are six hundred varieties of yams, one hundred and fifty cultivated for food, with Africa being the main producer. The annual world production of yams is over thirty million tons. Even though early explorers found many varieties of sweet potatoes and yams it became common to call both by either name. Today the US Department of Agriculture labels yams also as sweet potatoes.

My Heavenly Yam/Pumpkin recipe is one that I created to use either sweet potatoes or pumpkin. Although it takes longer to prepare than some recipes the Heavenly Yam/Pumpkin is an ideal autumn dessert and you can make it up a day ahead of time. From the rich nutty crust to the sweet potato or pumpkin filling surrounded by cream cheese and cool whip this multi-layered dessert is perfect for a family get-to-gether. My Heavenly Yam/Pumpkin takes around forty-five minutes to prepare and this recipe serves eighteen.

Heavenly Yam/Pumpkin

Mix together and press in the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish:
1½ c self-rising flour
½ c powdered sugar
½ c melted margarine
¼ c chopped pecans or nuts of your choice
Bake at 350º for twenty minutes. Then cool for thirty minutes.

In a medium mixing bowl beat until smooth:
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese
1 c powdered sugar
¼ of a 16 oz container of cool whip
Layer over cooled crust.

In another bowl mix until smooth:
2 c cooked sweet potatoes or pumpkin
¼ c sugar
½ tsp vanilla
½ tsp cinnamon
Layer over cream cheese mixture and then top with remaining cool whip. Garnish by sprinkling cinnamon on top, chill, and then serve!

Weekly tip: Potatoes properly stored in a dark, dry, well ventilated place can last from three to six months. Here are a couple of ways to store potatoes: in brown paper sacks, burlap bag, hung in the legs of panty hose, or enclosed in a cardboard box!

Dorcas Annette Walker is a published author, columnist, speaker, freelance magazine writer, and photographer from Jamestown, Tennessee. Contact her at: dorcaswalker@twlakes.net. For more recipes check out her Creative Mountain Cookin page at: www.dorcasannettewalker.com

Sweet Potato Pie

Sweet Potato Pie

Dorcas Annette Walker

This month the first frost will cover the Tennessean Mountains where I live signaling time to dig up sweet potatoes planted in the spring. I’ll can jars packed with chunks of sweet potatoes filling the remaining space on my pantry shelves. The glistening jars of bright orange will glow throughout the winter months enhancing all the other canned produce. So I thought I’d share some recipes this month that use sweet potatoes as a main ingredient.

Sweet potatoes originated in Central and South America, and are the sixth principal world food crop. Native Americans were growing sweet potatoes when Columbus arrived in 1492. Sweet potatoes were the main source of nourishment for early homesteaders and soldiers during the Revolutionary War. In World War I the USDA utilized sweet potato flour to stretch wheat flour in all baked goods. North Carolina produces more sweet potatoes than any other state followed by Louisiana, California, and Mississippi. Lincoln County leads the state of Tennessee in sweet potato production. Mississippi hold an annual National Sweet Potato Festival the first week in November, Kentucky has its Tater Day Festival the first Monday of April, while Gleason, Tennessee celebrates the sweet potato each Labor Day weekend with a Tater Town Special.

There are two categories of sweet potatoes: firm and soft and two varieties: pale yellow with dry flesh and dark orange with moist flesh. Sweet potatoes are members of the morning glory family and are sown by vine cuttings. Due to the rapidly growing vines little weeding is needed. Although sweet potatoes are harvested from August through October they are available year round. Like carrots sweet potatoes are storage roots.

Besides simple starches, sweet potatoes are rich in carbohydrates, protein, fiber, iron, calcium, vitamin A, C, and B6 ranking highest in nutritional value compared to other vegetables. Candied sweet potatoes represent traditional American cooking and are often served at Thanksgiving. Baked sweet potatoes are sometimes offered in restaurants today as an alternative to baked potatoes. In the Dominican Republic sweet potatoes are enjoyed for breakfast while in China sweet potatoes are often baked in large drums and sold as street food during the winter. Sweet potato fries or chips are made by deep frying in the same fashion as French fries. The sweet potato leaves are a common side dish in Taiwanese cuisine. In Korea the sweet potato starch is used to produce noodles while Hawaii has a purple sweet potato that is eaten steamed and sliced.

My Sweet Potato Pie is an ideal holiday dessert for Thanksgiving. The sweet potato filling is set off by an underlying Carmel and pecan layer and topped by a layer of cool whip, then garnished with a drizzle of Carmel and a sprinkle of pecans to make this a never to be forgotten dessert. My Sweet Potato Pie takes only about five minutes to prepare for baking and this recipe serves eight.

Sweet Potato Pie

Layer in the bottom of a 9 inch deep dish unbaked pie shell:
½ c Carmel topping
½ c chopped pecans

Beat with a mixer until smooth:
3 c cooked sweet potatoes
2 eggs
1 c sugar
1 tb orange juice
3 tb margarine
1 tsp vanilla
Pour over Carmel layer in unbaked pie shell. Bake at 350º for 35 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool and spread on top 1 (8 oz) container of cool whip. Garnish by drizzling Carmel over the cool whip and sprinkling chopped pecans!

Weekly tip: For a quick meal or snack: poke holes into a sweet potato, wrap up in a paper towel, and microwave a couple of minutes until soft. Add butter and a scoop of brown sugar!

Dorcas Annette Walker is a published author, columnist, speaker, freelance magazine writer, and photographer from Jamestown, Tennessee. Contact her at: dorcaswalker@twlakes.net. For more recipes check out her Creative Mountain Cookin page at: www.dorcasannettewalker.com

Sweet Potato Delight

Sweet Potato Delight

Dorcas Annette Walker

I was introduced to Sweet Potato Delight while my husband, Dana, and I pastored a rural church in North Carolina. Our move from the Dutch area of Pennsylvania, where my husband met and had wooed me to the altar, to the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains was quite a change on my part. Even though I was still in the United States, at times I felt like I had moved to a strange continent. It was hard for me to understand the Southern mountain dialect and in return the mountain folk seemed puzzled by my Northern accent. I should have read the signs during the quick trip down South for a Sunday trial service. Since my husband had been raised most of his life in Florida there was no communication problems between him and the mountain folk. Instead I was the girl who ended coming up short.

The older couple we stayed with was quite friendly and welcomed us with open arms into their home. Although, the names Mamie and Otto struck me as quite strange their house was neat and clean. When the guys disappeared, Mamie and I were left by ourselves in the kitchen to get acquainted. Our conservation was punctuated with lots of smiles and, “Excuse me I didn’t understand you” or “did you mean… on my end”. Dear Mamie shook her head numerous times over the young Yankee girl who seemed a bit slow to catch on what she said, but was kindness itself. I remember Mamie asking me if we used srup. For the life of me I couldn’t figure out what on earth srup was. Mamie finally went over to her cupboard and pulled out a bottle of syrup. I smiled and quickly assured her that we did indeed have and used sy-rup up North. I met my waterloo that night after supper.

We had finished washing up the dishes and it was getting on towards evening when Mamie gave me a jar of her prized canned green beans. I had never eaten white half-runners before. After handing the jar to me, Mamie asked if I wanted a poke. I took a step backwards and smilingly declined. Mamie took a step in my direction, gestured towards me, and asked a little louder if I was sure I didn’t want a poke. I took another step backwards feeling a bit frightened. Up to that time the only poke I was acquainted with was if someone was angry at you they might jab or poke you. In another situation I might have been a bit more rational, but we had driven that day about twelve hours on the road starting before daybreak, I was nine months pregnant, and was very conscious that we were there on trial so I didn’t want to do or say anything that would hinder my husband’s ministry. I turned and ran to the room where we were staying. When Dana entered the room, between sobs, I confessed that I didn’t know what I had done, but somehow I had upset Mamie because she wanted to poke me. My loving husband instead of consoling me began to laugh uproariously. Gasping for air he slowly informed me that all Mamie had done was offer me a paper sack for the jar of green beans. Mortified I called it a day and crawled into bed. Despite our language misunderstandings, Mamie and I became close friends and shared many recipes.

My Sweet Potato Delight casserole is a great dish for the holidays as well having it year-round. The sweet potatoes are enhanced by a crispy nutty topping that is sure to please even the fussiest eater. Preparation time for the Sweet Potato Delight is about ten minutes and this recipe serves eight.

Sweet Potato Delight

Beat together with a mixer until smooth:
3 c cooked sweet potatoes
1 c sugar
2 eggs
½ c margarine
¼ c milk
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp salt
Pour into a buttered 7½ x 11 inch baking dish.

In a small bowl mix together until small crumbs form:
1 c brown sugar
½ c self-rising flour
½ c margarine
1 c chopped pecans
Pour topping over sweet potato mixture. Bake at 350º for thirty minutes. Serve hot!

Weekly tip: Sweet potatoes make lovely indoor trailing vine plants. To start your own plant, stick the top of a cut sweet potato into water. Place in a sunny window until roots form and then plant in potting soil!

Dorcas Annette Walker is a published author, columnist, speaker, freelance magazine writer, and photographer from Jamestown, Tennessee. Contact her at: dorcaswalker@twlakes.net. For more recipes check out her Creative Mountain Cookin page at: www.dorcasannettewalker.com

Corn Pudding

Corn Pudding

Dorcas Annette Walker

Our henhouse is bustling with activity. Zebulon rules the outside and the six largest hens, which have been molting during the heat wave of the past month reducing egg production. Despite the heat nothing escapes his eagle eye making him an ideal watch dog. The other day to my surprise and delight I heard an echo of Zebulon’s crowing coming from inside the henhouse. It turns out that Cheesecake is a rooster. Perched on top of a roll of wire, Cheesecake rules the younger brood inside the hen house. While Cheesecake doesn’t have the volume of Zebulon, he still manages to make a respectable sounding crow. The other surviving member of his batch, Lemon Pudding, laid her first egg yesterday. It was a perfect miniature oval.

Two weeks ago Dana took down the protective wire inside the henhouse to let our smallest bunch of half-grown chicks roam free. Blackberry ventured outside the henhouse and met his doom when he had a run-in with Zebulon. Thankfully Mustard, Cluster, Fluster, Blueberry, and Raspberry have played it safe and stayed indoors. Their bodies are growing rapidly and they are quickly becoming adults. It is fascinating to see them take on the mannerisms of their older peers. Instead of hearing peeping sounds, you now hear new-sounding clucks. With colder weather coming up all the chickens will start to go inside to roost at night. Dana is going to separate the young roosters from Zebulon and place them in another pen so we don’t end up raising fighting roosters. Instead we’ll fatten them up for the freezer.

To keep the chickens healthy and our hens laying they have to be fed a balanced diet of grains, greens, and protein. To survive the winter extra corn will be added to their diet starting in the fall to help fatten our poultry up thus enabling them to produce the necessary heat needed for cold temperatures. Chicken scratch is an old favorite chicken feed made up of a combination of whole grains or oats and corn, which is the equivalent of candy to a hen or rooster. That is why layer pellets, other protein sources, and greens are added to their diet.

Corn Pudding is an old fashion dish also known as scalloped corn or corn soufflé. Over the years I have combined a couple of recipes to our old family recipe of Corn Pudding to get the desired creamy texture and taste. You can substitute one can of drained whole corn for one can of creamed corn. Corn Pudding is an ideal dish to pop into the oven on a brisk fall day and is sure to please everyone. Preparation time for my Corn Pudding takes only ten minutes and this recipe serves twelve.

Corn Pudding

Mix together in a blender:
2 (14.5 oz) cans of cream corn
1 (12 oz) can of evaporated milk
½ stick of margarine (cut into chunks)
2 tb sugar
2 tb cornstarch
2 eggs
Pour mixture into a buttered two-quart baking dish. Cover and bake at 350º for 1½ hours. Serve warm!

Weekly tip: Some quick crumb toppings for baked casseroles include melted butter drizzled over: crushed Ritz crackers or regular saltine crackers, bread crumbled up fine, crushed corn flakes or bran cereals!

Dorcas Annette Walker is a published author, columnist, speaker, freelance magazine writer, and photographer from Jamestown, Tennessee. Contact her at: dorcaswalker@twlakes.net. For more recipes check out her Creative Mountain Cookin page at: www.dorcasannettewalker.com