Every year around Harvest Sunday I am asked by friends if it’s true that Americans make pumpkin pies. They want to know what they taste like, not quite sure if the pies are a savoury affair or sweet. Our first year in London I could not find Libby’s Solid Pack Pumpkin — I was still unfamiliar with some of the grocery stores, and my friends had never heard of Libby’s. Even worse, in November all the real pumpkins had disappeared from the grocery stores and markets because they were out of season!!
One kind green grocer in our little town square kept his eye out for some pumpkins after he witnessed my initial distress. The week before Thanksgiving he proudly presented me with two of the cutest little pumpkins I had ever seen. What a hero he was! After using just one of those to make my pumpkin pies — it yielded lots of meat — I soon realised why Libby’s Solid Pack Pumpkin-in-a-tin had become so popular back home: real pumpkins are dangerously difficult to work with!
A couple of Christmases ago, my sweet sister-in-law sent me two industrial sized tins of pumpkin. Thankfully I’ve learned Waitrose carries Libby’s, so now I stock up! And my pumpkin pies have been Anglicised into pumpkin tartlets, with a dollop of double cream.
Tonight is our Bring and Share ‘American-style’ supper and Harvest Auction at the Old School Hall. I had best be getting busy. It will be a sweet affair, thanks to Libby’s AND Waitrose!
(Will post a photo when they’re out of the oven.)
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This link will take you to an article by Patricia Mitchell found in ‘Texas Cooking’. It gives instructions for how to prepare and puree pumpkin for cooking and baking if you can’t get Libby’s. Best of all it gives the RECIPES for these five fabulous pumpkin delights:
- Pumpkin Bread
- Creamy Pumpkin Vegetable Soup
- Pumpkin Pecan Pie
- Pumpkin Marble Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Flan
(Check out ‘Grandma’s Cookbook’ on this website when you get a chance — yum!)
Deb,
Your new space is beautiful. I wish I knew how to put pictures on my blog. Really spices it up. Beautiful pictures of autumn’s bounty here.