Autumn's Bounty

Acorn, butternut, and spaghetti squash line the farm stands in our neighborhood. Yellow spade-shaped leaves seem to be the first to dash across the roads like little airplanes. Clumps of brown oak dot the trees. Night falls in the evening again. The blueberries and tart beach plums have been harvested. The apples in people's yards fall from the tree with wormholes, and you wonder why they do not harvest them. The cranberry bogs are turning red. The bike paths are empty.

This morning Raven and I harvested the last wild grapes in our yard. This was not the simplest of tasks. We have no ladder or fruit picker. What city slickers! A pub chair, a long rope and some sticks did the trick. These are the sweetest grapes of the season. (Speaking of being a city girl, I seem to be the only mom who wears black dropping my kid off at school, but I'm just really not feeling the call of the jeans. Historically, this area has seen a lot of black mourning gowns, so I am all for the change.)

Berries like lychees hang low on branches in front of the library and down along main street. People assume they are inedible. But why would people keep them around so long if they aren't edible? They form huge clumps of mushy red and bright orange fruit on the personalized bricks and fill the holes of workman's soles in one step. They also taste delicious.

Here's my pumpkin pie recipe for fall.


Pandora’s Pumpkin Pie
October 26, 2010

Filling:
15 oz. canned organic pumpkin puree
14 oz. organic tofu
2 organic eggs
1/2 maple syrup
3 tablespoons whole milk/ricemilk/coconut milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon clove

Put pumpkin puree, ricemilk and tofu in a blender. In a bowl whip eggs, vanilla, cornstarch, maple syrup, and spices together. Add blended mixture to wet ingredients and whip together before placing into pre-cooked crust.

Crust (option number 1):
½ cup rice flour
½ cup potato flour
½ tsp. cinnamon powder
Small pinch of clove
Small pinch of nutmeg
1 egg beaten
4 tbsp. rice milk
2 tbsp. oil
2 tbsp. cold water
4 tbsp. maple syrup
½ tsp. vanilla extract

Crust (option number 2):
1 1/2 c. rice flour
1/2 c. organic whole milk/organic rice milk/coconut milk
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons oil
1 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of clove
pinch of nutmeg


In a bowl, add dry ingredients. Make a hole in the center. Add egg and beat. Next, add all wet ingredients. Mix well. Make a ball out of the dough. Place in the center of a greased tin. Press, until evenly distributed. Preheat at 350 and cook for 5-7 minutes, before adding pumpkin filling.

Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes. Cool on kitchen counter top. Refrigerate until completely firm in the center. Let stand ten minutes at room temperature before serving.

"As The Wheel Turns"
Once I placed the Fall Equinox 'sticker', my five year old son knew the Spring Equinox was on the other side of the wheel. He also knew where the Solstices fall in relation to the equinoxes. I am so impressed!