Readers share instructions for tasty Thanksgiving treats

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Photos: iStockphoto

A couple of weeks ago, we asked you, dear readers, to send in your favorite Thanksgiving recipes. We got a smorgasbord of replies, from Dilly Dip to The Best Pressed Pie Crust In the World — and nary a hint of tryptophan in sight. We’ve collected your scrumptious ideas here, and welcome more from the rest of you in the comments section below. Bon appetit!

Appetizers/Sides/Sauces/Stuffing
Dilly Dip
Cointreau Cranberry Sauce
Sherried Leek and Wild Chanterelle Sauce
Cranberry-Orange Relish
Tempeh and Wild Rice Stuffing with Toasted Hazelnuts
Quinoa Stuffing

Entrees/Veggies/Soups
Sweet Potatoes with Rosemary and Garlic
Harvest Stuffed Acorn Squash
Roasted Red Pepper and Butternut Squash
Roasted Root Vegetables in a Sweet Balsamic Glaze
Creamy Bisque of Roasted Red Garnet Yams
Tempeh “Neat”-Loaf
Caribbean Sweet Potatoes
Braised or Sautéed Kale

Desserts
Baked Whole Grain Fruity Custard
Pumpkin Bread
Frost On Pumpkin Pie
Baked Ginger Pears
Sweet Potato Pie
Pumpkin Pie (With the Best Pressed Pie Crust In the World)

Appetizers/Sides/Sauces/Stuffing

Dilly Dip
Goldie Caughlan

Ed. note: Goldie is the nutrition education manager at the Seattle-based PCC Natural Markets. This recipe and many others are available on the PCC site.

Serves 8
Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 1/2 cups (8 servings)

Drain tofu and place in blender with other ingredients. Cover and blend until smooth. Serve with raw, crisp vegetables, or spread on warm bagels for a non-dairy treat.

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Cointreau Cranberry Sauce
Kaela Porter

This recipe was modified from Michel Nichan’s Homegrown and the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving.

Wearing a heavy-duty oven mitt and using kitchen tongs, toast the cinnamon sticks over an open flame (or on your electric coil burner) until they begin to darken and smell fragrant, approximately 1 minute each. In a large stockpot, combine sugar, orange juice, allspice, clove, and cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and boil gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cranberries and apples. Return to a boil over medium-high heat; lower heat to simmer gently, stirring frequently, until cranberry skins begin to burst (5 to 10 minutes). Crush mixture with a potato masher. Add rum and orange zest and return to a boil, stirring well. Remove from heat and discard cinnamon sticks. Recipe can be canned in a hot water bath for 15 minutes (yield about seven 8-ounce jars).

For the omnivores among us, I’ve used this sauce to make a cranberry-chicken recipe; about 1/2 cup cranberry sauce, added to 1 cup orange juice, 2 teaspoons honey, salt, pepper, and fresh sage. Whisk together, marinate 3 chicken breasts for about an hour, then roast in 350 degree oven for 40 minutes, occasionally basting. Deglaze roasting pan with white wine or Cointreau, add a bit more cranberry sauce, and simmer down for a fabulous sauce for the chicken.

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Sherried Leek and Wild Chanterelle Sauce
Goldie Caughlan

Wild Northwest-grown Chanterelle mushrooms cook down to make a rich, satisfying sauce — perfect with mashed potatoes, Tempeh “Neat”-Loaf, and stuffed baked winter squashes.

Ed. note: Goldie is the nutrition education manager at the Seattle-based PCC Natural Markets. This recipe and many others are available on the PCC site.

Serves 8

In a large, heavy pot, cook leeks and chanterelles in oil on medium heat for 10 to 20 minutes. Continue to stir as you add flour, nutritional yeast, soy sauce, sherry, and water. Hint: be sure to add flour first, allowing it to brown and cook for 4 or 5 minutes as the mixture thickens — it will seem “gloppy,” but don’t worry. Then add other ingredients in order, stirring all the while. Reduce heat to low and simmer. After 30 minutes, season with pepper and taste frequently as you go. Adjust seasonings. (Can be prepared the previous day for s-l-o-w reheating on low to medium heat just before serving.)

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Cranberry-Orange Relish
Nancy Lemoine

My family requests this recipe — a variation on the one in the Culinary Arts Institute Encyclopedic Cookbook — not just at Thanksgiving and Christmas, but whenever they think they can get away with it throughout the year. It makes a lot, but the number of servings depends on the size of the portions, so that’s not included. It’s easy to prepare, should be made ahead of time (cuts down on the last-minute flurry of activity), and delicious! Only one orange rind is used, so I usually slice or grate the other one off very close to the surface, then freeze or dry it for use in other recipes. (Waste not, want not, and there’s less to add to compost or a landfill.)

Put the cranberries through a food processor using the grater blade (or chop by hand). Grate the rind off of one orange. Cut the orange part of the rind off the other orange. Slice and chop both oranges into bite-size pieces or smaller, then stir into the cranberries. Stir in sugar, then store in the refrigerator in a glass bowl until ready to serve. This is best made a day or two before serving.

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Tempeh and Wild Rice Stuffing with Toasted Hazelnuts
Goldie Caughlan

Ed. note: Goldie is the nutrition education manager at the Seattle-based PCC Natural Markets. This recipe and many others are available on the PCC site.

Yield: Approximately 5 cups
Time: 45 minutes for rice, plus 15 minutes to assemble

Remove marinated tempeh from liquid and lightly brown in the oil in a heavy skillet for 5 minutes. Remove tempeh, and any browned bits, with a slotted spoon, and place in large mixing bowl. Add next 7 ingredients and toss ingredients.

Taste and add salt or soy sauce, pepper, and the wine in small amounts, lightly tossing and tasting.

Pack lightly into cavity of partially pre-baked winter squash, and mound. Cover lightly with foil and bake at 375 F for 30 to 40 minutes.

Serve with a mushroom or onion sauce accompanied by a salad of dark mixed greens, fresh sprouts, and vinaigrette.

Variation: Omit mushrooms and poultry seasoning and add 1 cup chopped green apples or winter pears, 1/2 cup dried fruit bits, and 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice mix.

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Quinoa Stuffing
A. Cimino

I made this for a vegetarian cooking contest. It didn’t win any prizes but it was still a big hit. I found the recipe in a veg-friendly Thanksgiving handout I received at a Sierra Club True Cost of Food event in Maryland.

Bring broth and water to a boil. Add quinoa and bring back to a boil. Cook over medium heat for 12 minutes, or until quinoa has absorbed all the liquid.

In a skillet, melt the margarine and cook onion and celery on medium heat until translucent, about 10 minutes. In a large bowl, combine prepared quinoa, onion mixture, and spices.

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Entrees/Veggies/Soups

Sweet Potatoes with Rosemary and Garlic
Leslie Berliant

This recipe came from my mother; I’m not sure where she got it originally.

Serves 6-8

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Slice sweet potatoes so that they are about 1/8-inch thick. Toss with olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and rosemary leaves (removed from stems). Place potatoes in layers into a 13×9-inch glass baking dish, drizzle any remaining oil on top. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour or until potatoes are soft and starting to caramelize.

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Harvest Stuffed Acorn Squash
Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

This delicious and attractive dish is based on antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and nuts. The deep yellow of the squash flesh and the earthy tones of the stuffing create a lovely contrast, making this dish the perfect centerpiece for Thanksgiving.

Ed. note: Colleen Patrick-Goudreau is founder and director of Compassionate Cooks and author of The Joy of Vegan Baking.

Serves 8

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cook both varieties of rice together in broth or water with 1/4 teaspoon of salt (omit salt if broth is already salted). Meanwhile, place squash halves, cut side down, into a large shallow baking dish or cookie sheet (you may need two). Bake for 30 minutes.

In a skillet, sauté onion in the water until it becomes transparent. Add the celery and sauté a couple of minutes. Remove from heat. Using a large mixing bowl, blend this mixture together with the cooked rice, cranberries, nuts, apricots, and remaining seasonings.

When done, remove the partially baked squash from the oven. Spoon out some of the cooked squash and mix it with the rest of the ingredients. Be sure to scrape only a little; you want to leave squash in the shells, too. Press the rice mixture into each squash cavity, mounding rice as much as possible. (Depending on how large the squash are, you may end up with some leftover rice mixture, which makes a great side dish by itself.)

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes or until squash flesh is thoroughly tender.

Note: Don’t discard the nutritious squash seeds. Instead, rinse the seeds and remove the membrane. Pat dry. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil and spread the seeds evenly on the sheet. Spray seeds lightly with olive oil or mix with Earth Balance and sprinkle with sea salt or any other favorite seasoning (optional). Bake the seeds in a 375 degrees F oven for about 15 minutes, or until they’re golden brown. Enjoy immediately as a warm snack, or store them in an airtight container for up to one week.

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Roasted Red Pepper and Butternut Squash
Kaela Porter

This recipe was adapted from Gourmet, September 1995.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice one end off of butternut squash and, using a sharp vegetable peeler, peel away skin. Slice in half, scoop out seeds, and slice into approximately 1/2-inch cubes. (Make cubes larger if you like your squash tender, smaller if you like it to be crispy and browned). In a large bowl, mix together squash, peppers, herbs, and 1/2 cup of the cheese. Add enough olive oil to lightly coat the squash, then add salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper (if you want a little extra kick) to taste. Transfer the mixture to a large, shallow baking dish or casserole (coating with olive oil spray will aid clean-up), sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese, and roast, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until squash is tender and edges browned. Garnish with fresh Parmesan cheese and herbs; serve warm.

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Roasted Root Vegetables in a Sweet Balsamic Glaze
Kaela Porter

I got this idea from my friend Shari Schneider, who owns the Divine Bar restaurants in New York City.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine vinegar, orange juice, water, and sugar in a saute pan and heat over medium flame until the sugar dissolves. Lower heat and simmer gently until volume is slightly reduced and liquid begins to look syrupy (about 5 minutes). Transfer to heat-proof measuring cup with pouring spout (or bowl with ladle). If using beets, toss beets with vinegar reduction to coat, then transfer to a large shallow baking dish and roast for 20 minutes. Toss remaining root vegetables in a large bowl with enough vinegar reduction to coat liberally; add to beets in baking dish, stirring well. Baste vegetables occasionally with additional reduction sauce (bottom of pan should remain slightly wet with sauce). Roast until vegetables are tender with the edges slightly browned, approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Creamy Bisque of Roasted Red Garnet Yams
Goldie Caughlan

Yams finally get their place in the spotlight with this stunningly beautiful, sumptuous soup. This recipe was originally published in Sound Consumer.

Ed. note: Goldie is the nutrition education manager at the Seattle-based PCC Natural Markets. This recipe and many others are available on the PCC site.

Serves 6

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake yams on a baking sheet until very soft when pinched (45 minutes to 1 hour). Scoop out approximately 5 to 6 cups of pulp. Purée in food processor (or work in small batches in blender), with crumbled tofu, miso, and water. Process until very smooth and silky.

Meanwhile, sauté onion in oil in a large pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Deglaze pan with sherry and simmer for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low. Add the puréed bisque ingredients and slowly reheat for 10 minutes or so. (May be made ahead, refrigerated, and reheated before serving.)

In the final 2 or 3 minutes of heating, add nutmeg, ground coriander seeds, salt if needed, and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings.

When serving, garnish with additional grated nutmeg. This soup is excellent with herbed croutons and/or rustic, hearty bread.

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Tempeh “Neat”-Loaf
Goldie Caughlan

This recipe was originally published in Sound Consumer.

Ed. note: Goldie is the nutrition education manager at the Seattle-based PCC Natural Markets. This recipe and many others are available on the PCC site.

Serves 4
Time: 10 minutes preparation; 45 minutes baking
Yield: 1 medium loaf

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients. If mixture seems too dry, add a little water as needed. Oil a glass or metal baking pan and press loaf into pan. If using cheese, cut into several small sticks. Insert sticks straight down into loaf at several intervals. As baking proceeds, these melt internally and across the top.

Bake for approximately 45 minutes, or until fully cooked, firm, and brown; cool 30 minutes before slicing. Serve with mashed potatoes, steamed or braised kale or steamed carrots, and mixed vegetable salad.

Variation: Substitute 1/2 pound lean ground round steak in place of half the tempeh, for a TeMeat Loaf — a good means of reducing cholesterol in meat and adding the nutrients and fiber of soy tempeh.

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Caribbean Sweet Potatoes
Amihan Huesmann

Here’s one of my all-time favorite recipes that does not contain bourbon. It is insanely easy, foolproof, and equally delicious with roasted animals and whatever it is that vegans eat for Thanksgiving. Plus, nobody has ever had it before so it makes a nice change from the usual overly sweet sweet-potato dishes. It is also not disgusting if it gets lukewarm, and is delish as a leftover. I first found this in some magazine many years ago (I don’t remember which, sorry).

Serves 10 as a side dish

Set oven to medium-high heat (375 degrees or so). Slice the sweet potatoes into rounds about 1/2-inch thick. Arrange them in a 3-quart baking dish, sprinkling with hot pepper flakes to taste. Open up that can of coconut milk and pour it over the potatoes. Cover the dish with aluminum foil (or a cookie sheet, which is easier to reuse than foil) and bake until potatoes and coconut milk begin to melt into each other, about an hour. Or longer, it doesn’t really matter; these won’t burn.

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Braised or Sautéed Kale
Goldie Caughlan

 

 

 

Ed. note: Goldie is the nutrition education manager at the Seattle-based PCC Natural Markets. This recipe and many others are available on the PCC site.

Serves 4
Yield: 2 to 3 cooked cups, for about 4 servings
Time: 10 to 15 minutes preparation and cooking

Strip any stringy parts from base of stalks; remove stalks from leaves, including trimming out the large part of the stalk from up into the leaves. Dice the stalks in 1/3-inch pieces and set aside. Chop leaves into about 2- to 3-inch pieces.

There are two approaches: the first is to briefly blanch the stems and leaves for a couple of minutes by steaming or immersing in boiling water, draining and reserving those that just wilted. The other approach is to skip this part and directly pan-braise and cook the greens. The first method works best if greens are especially tough or older appearing, as a means of assuring they will become tender, yet remain brightly colored.

Heat a wok or heavy skillet on medium high and lightly sautè garlic in oil, not permitting it to brown or burn. Remove garlic with a slotted spoon (or push it high on the side of the wok), turn heat to high flame or high heat, add greens (presteamed or raw) and begin tossing (adding a teaspoon additional oil if desired). After about 5 minutes add back the garlic, splash pan lightly with wine (optional), cover pan, remove from heat, and let stand briefly. Season with splashes of soy sauce and/or vinegar. Garnish with toasted seeds or nuts.

Steamed greens variation:
Prepare greens as above, placing diced stems in steamer first, leaves on top, and steam until bright green and tender; checking regularly, so as not to overcook! Season with vinegar and/or soy sauce.

Vinegars on greens:
A perfect partnership! Try balsamic, seasoned, or plain rice vinegar, malt vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or the bright crimson-hued Japanese brine-vinegar simply called plum or sometimes ume plum. The brine vinegar is a naturally occurring byproduct of the fermentation of salt plums (called umeboshi). The rich red color results from a seasoning leaf called “shiso.” Curiously, the salty-sour flavor is an excellent counterpoint that tends to sweeten hearty dark greens!

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Desserts

Baked Whole Grain Fruity Custard
Goldie Caughlan

For centuries, whole grains — from quinoa and rice to millet and barley — have sustained people throughout the world as a basic staple. Today, the health benefits of whole grains are clearly documented, with USDA dietary guidelines recommending at least three servings a day. This delicious homey dish is good for breakfast, dessert, or snack, warm or cold. Vary the grains as you choose.

Ed. note: Goldie is the nutrition education manager at the Seattle-based PCC Natural Markets. This recipe and many others are available on the PCC site.

Serves 6-8

Oil a shallow casserole pan or individual ramekins and layer bottom with cooked grains. In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and optional sweetener (see note below). Fold in dried fruit and pour into pan or ramekins. Place pan or ramekins in a larger pan and fill halfway up the sides of the dish with hot tap water. Bake until set at 350 degrees for an hour for a shallow casserole pan or 45 minutes for individual ramekins.

Serve warm, about 30 minutes after removed from the oven, or chilled. For a garnish, top with low-fat yogurt, and a sprinkling of chopped raw or toasted nuts.

*Note: For a sweeter custard, substitute 1 or 2 cups apple juice or cider for 1 or 2 cups of the milk. Or add up to 1/2 cup natural sweetener such as barley malt, rice syrup, sorghum, molasses, or maple syrup.

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Pumpkin Bread
Kaela Porter

This recipe, modified from the Fannie Farmer Cookbook, makes one 9×5 inch bread loaf, or two mini-loaves (3×6 inch), or about 10 muffins. I often double the recipe to make 4 mini-loaves; one to eat right away, one to eat over the next few days, one to give away as a gift, and one to freeze for later.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda well in medium bowl. Mix pumpkin, oil, eggs, orange juice, applesauce, and spices together in large bowl. Combine wet and dry ingredients, mixing until just combined; add in nuts and/or chocolate chips. Pour into greased loaf pans (even non-stick pans need a coating — I use olive or canola oil spray). Bake 50-60 minutes for one large loaf, 30-40 minutes for mini-loaves, or 20-30 minutes for muffins (or when cake tester comes out clean). Cool in pan for 5 minutes and then cool on rack. Should last for at least a week at room temperature, longer in the fridge, and will freeze well. Enjoy!

Tips:
Fill bread pans nearly full (about 1/2 – 1 inch below top) and muffin pans to the top.
Convection baking tends to dry this bread out; use a regular baking oven.
To make a lower-fat, lower-cholesterol variety, substitute one whole egg for two egg whites (this will make a less dense bread).
This bread is spicy and not overly sweet, although the addition of chocolate chips makes it quite sweet, more like dessert. I often make two loaves with only walnuts, then add chocolate chips to the remaining batter and make two loaves with nuts & chocolate.
The bread will be crumbly when warm, so wait until it cools to room temperature for clean slices.
Once completely cool, wrap tightly in a double-layer of plastic wrap to store; to freeze, place the plastic-wrapped bread inside a heavy-duty freezer ziplock bag.

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Frost On Pumpkin Pie
Kelly Garbato

This recipe is passed on from dear ol’ ma, but I think the good folks at Tofutti actually came up with it.

crust ingredients:

filling ingredients:

Mix crust ingredients and put in pie pan, leaving 1 tablespoon of crust mix to sprinkle on top. Bake crust 7-9 minutes at 350 degrees or until brown.

Mix, by hand, all the filling ingredients together in a mixing bowl — except for the whipped cream. When the filling ingredients are fully blended, then “fold in” 1 cup of whipped cream.

Once the baked crust has cooled, pour (or spoon) all of the filling onto the crust. Sprinkle the leftover crust crumbs on top of the filling.

Refrigerate for 4 hours and serve cold.

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Baked Ginger Pears
Goldie Caughlan

Throughout the fall, we work closely with a variety of Washington organic growers to pick the freshest, tree-ripened pears.

Ed. note: Goldie is the nutrition education manager at the Seattle-based PCC Natural Markets. This recipe and many others are available on the PCC site.

Serves 6

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Wash pears, do not peel and do not remove stems. Cut lengthwise. With a teaspoon, scoop out just the pith and seeds — or leave as-is for a more rustic appearance. If preferred, the 12 halves can be sliced again lengthwise, for 24 quartered pieces.

Arrange pears, cut sides down, in a baking dish. Grate unpeeled ginger root onto a plate.

Gather grated ginger, squeeze over pears, and then scatter the grating in the juice. Pour cider over pears, until they are nearly covered. Bake for one hour. Remove and let cool. Serve at room temperature or chilled. (Great warm with organic vanilla ice cream.)

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Sweet Potato Pie
G.P. Stone

A sweet potato pie recipe we serve here at our inn in Montana.

Serves 8

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Prick the sweet potatoes with a fork and roast them on a shallow baking pan in the middle of the oven until very tender, about 1 1/4 hours. Cool to room temperature.

Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees, and place a shallow baking pan on the bottom rack.

Scoop the flesh from potatoes into a bowl and discard the skins. Mash the sweet potatoes with a fork until smooth. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and stir in the sugar. Add the melted butter mixture to the sweet potatoes with the milk and the eggs and beat with a whisk until smooth. Whisk in the remaining ingredients (the filling will be quite liquid). Pour the filling into the pie shell.

Carefully transfer the pie to the heated shallow baking pan on the bottom rack of the oven and bake until the filling is just set, about 40 minutes. Transfer the pie to a rack to cool.

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Pumpkin Pie
Karen Furnweger

Doesn’t look like a bakery pumpkin pie, but it tastes a heck of a lot better! I got the crust recipe from a natural foods column in the Chicago Tribune around 1977 or 1978. I came up with the alternate ingredients. The filling recipe came from my friend Jan Spitzer from the same time period. I’ve played with it a tiny bit in the ensuing years. If someone has an egg substitute, it could be completely vegan, and I think all ingredients are available as organic.

The Best Pressed Pie Crust In the World
Makes 1 pie crust (double to go with filling recipe)

Combine flour, wheat germ, and salt (I use a food processor with the chopping blade). In a separate small bowl, combine but do not mix oil and milk. Pour liquid into main bowl or processor and mix all ingredients together quickly until completely mixed. It’s OK if the dough balls up in the processor. Press into 8- or 9-inch pie pan. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool.

Pumpkin Pie Filling
Makes enough filling for two 8- or 9-inch pies

Combine bit by bit in mixer or food processor and evenly divide between two baked pie crusts. Bake mid-level in oven at 400 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes, depending on your oven. Top should look firm, but might still be a little puffy; brown spots mean it’s just starting to get overdone. Toothpick inserted in middle should come out clean. Also, be very careful that the edge of the crust doesn’t start to get really dark. Serve with freshly whipped cream.

* Pumpkin Puree from scratch
This works for butternut squash, too.

1 small- to medium-sized pie pumpkin

Wash pumpkin thoroughly, cut into chunks with the skin still on, and remove seeds and strings. Steam until tender but not mushy (maybe 10 to 15 minutes for pumpkin, 20 minutes for squash — test with a fork!). Remove from steamer and cool. When you can handle the pieces, cut the flesh away from the skin.

Puree in a food processor. If the puree is watery, drain in a fine strainer, pressing excess water through (butternut squash doesn’t need this). Freeze extra puree in one-cup containers for additional pies, pumpkin bread, muffins, etc.

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[Correction, 16 Nov 2007: This article originally listed 1/2 pound plain silken tofu as an ingredient in every recipe. In fact, it is only needed for the dilly dip. We’re soy-ry! We are investigating charges of possible hacking by the soybean lobby. ]