Thanksgiving Treat

Feeling very blessed and thankful for our readers and our followers... thank you for all of your comments, questions and insights.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Just in case you need a quick, easy, last minute Thanksgiving recipe, here is a family favorite from "Recipes From A Kitchen Garden" by Renee Shepherd; a small recipe booklet published by Shepherds Garden Seeds in 1987.  My son's favorite Thanksgiving dessert.  It has graced every Thanksgiving table since he was born, 23 years ago.  We think it is best served around room temperature.

Pumpkin Cobbler

Filling:
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup evaporated milk
3 cups cooked mashed pumpkin (or butternut squash)
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon giner
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt

Crust:
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
1 cup flour
1 cup white sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup regular or low-fat milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons white sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk and pumpkin; add the rest of the filling ingredients, mix well and set aside.  Then prepare the crust; melt the stick of butter in a 9 X 11-inch baking pan.  In another bowl, mix the remaining crust ingredients until just combined and pour into baking pan on top of the melted butter.  Spoon or slowly pour the filling evenly over the crust batter in the pan.  Do not stir.  Dot the top with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and sprinkle with the 2 tablespoons of sugar.  Bake 1 hour.  The crust mixture rises to the top during baking to form a rich topping.
Serves 8 to 10.

Fruity Goodness

It looks like this year's fruit harvest will be bountiful.  The harsh winter and lack of spring ice storms seems to have produced a bumper crop.  Everywhere you turn the trees are full of fruit.  On Sunday, we picked about 1 1/2 bushels of peaches and maybe about a peck of apples off a small new tree.  We are looking forward to frozen peaches, peach preserves, peach syrup and an apple crisp.  We are also very excited to try a new recipe "Gingered Peach and Blackberry Pandowdy" (from "Rustic Fruit Desserts") with the addition of the blackberries that Megan picked from the back forty.
Here is a recipe (from "Stocking Up III" by Carol Hupping and the staff of the Rodale Food Center) for Peach Vinegar that I love to make from the peelings and pits.  It is simple, delicious and looks beautiful in a gift bottle.

Peach Vinegar
Use peelings and pits from about 8 lbs peaches, to make this fruity vinegar.  It's lovely as a marinade for chicken, duck and pork, in salad dressings, or combined with mayonnaise and chicken for a delicious chicken salad.
Tie peelings and pits together in a double thickness of cheesecloth or in a jelly bag.  Combine with 2 cups vinegar in a medium-size stainless steel or enamel saucepan and bring to a boil slowly, then simmer gently 15 minutes.  Remove bag and let stand until cold.
Strain and pour into a hot sterilized pint bottle.  Seal.
The vinegar keeps in the refrigerator for 1 year.
Yield: 1 pint