Squash pie

I've had better luck growing butternut squash than pumpkins, so I tend to make squash pies instead of pumpkin. I may not have sufficiently sensitive tastebuds, because once the spices and sugars are added, I can't really tell the difference between pumpkin pie and squash pie.

I read once that squash (butternut) is better nutritionally than pumpkin, although the difference is pretty minor, especially once they've been made into pies. According to nutritiondata.com, a serving of (plain) butternut squash has only 82 calories, plus huge amounts of vitamin A, and a substantial amount of vitamin C. Pumpkin, on the other hand, has fewer calories (49), but also half the vitamin A and C.

The filling for the pie (and its twin) above consists of:

• 2 cups of cooked, pureed butternut squash
• 1 can of evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed)
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 or 2 Tablespoons molasses
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice mixture (from Penzey's Spices)
• pinch of salt
• 2 eggs

Mix together and bake (350 degrees) in two partially pre-cooked piecrusts for 30-40 minutes.

The recipe is supposed to make just one pie, but I've always found that it makes too much for a single pie, and it cooks more quickly, with less mess (I always spill some of the filling over the edge, messing up the pie plate and the oven), if I divide it into two pies.

Late crop

The swiss chard is still growing strong and looking gorgeous in the otherwise dreary landscape.