We had our first frost here on Monday morning, followed by another the next day. For most, frost is a very normal part of Autumn, a sign of Winter coming. But for me, a beach girl raised in balmy Southern California and then the Bay Area, I had never seen frost. Sure, I've been knee deep in the Winter's snow pack in Lake Tahoe and Steam Boat, CO, but I've never been around more temperate parts in the subtle transitional phase of Fall.
So Monday morning I woke up an hour before the alarm set at 8:00am. I felt utterly awake. Rion and I would be doing morning animal chores in a couple hours, but I felt impelled to get up and out into the world. The bright crisp sky outside the window lured me outside onto the farm. And how quiet it was out there. No other humans up and about. Just me, with my morning eyes and already frigid nose. And the first thing I saw was the blue green grass. It looked like a fairyland, with the icy coolness encrusting every surface like delicate lace.
I was elated with every crunchy step through the grass. I shoved my face so close to the frosty blades, mouth agape and eyes sparkling with wonder at each and every complex ice crystal sitting oh so still. I walked all over the farm, amazed at the completely new coat covering the land. While passing by some spinach that was left uncovered overnight, I plucked a few crystalline leaves and popped them in my mouth. It's like those fancy liquid nitrogen dishes you see on cooking competitions, but done so perfectly by nature. It was like a spinach ice chip. I really enjoyed it.
After crunching my way around the entire farm, I let all the animals out and fed them, watching them interact with the frozen ground. I walked back up to the common house after all this adventure to find Rion just emerging from sleep. I was so moved by the chilly frost that I turned on some dreamy classical music, like the kind you hear during Christmas. Rion laughed at me, but it all put me in such a cheerful, cozy mood.
And that is how I decided to make pumpkin custard.
PUMPKIN SEASON PUMPKIN SEASON PUMPKIN SEASON PUMPKIN SEASON PUMPKIN SEASON
That's what goes through my head this time of year. And this year especially, as we harvested hundreds of pounds of "winter luxury" pie pumpkins, ready to become pie, butter, pancakes, and custard too.
I love the pumpkin flavor because it can be infused into almost anything, especially baked goods. It melds so well with our well-loved Autumn spices, and can even go savory like its squash friends. If you haven't made pumpkin puree from real pumpkins, it's a must-do. The flavor is deep, the texture is full, and it can be roughed up or smoothed out depending on what you desire.
And of course, you get the seeds. Don't throw these nutritious gems away! You could save them to plant next year's pumpkins or you can toast them, which I lay out in this recipe. I have fond memories of my dad's a-little-too-salty-but-perfect toasted pumpkin seeds as a child after carving pumpkins for Halloween. They make a great snack, if you don't eat them up while cooking the rest of the pumpkin.
I like this pumpkin custard recipe because it's basically a lazy pumpkin pie with extra eggy goodness. I have a heavy hand for spices, so alter them as you wish. This custard is great for our beloved gluten-free friends and crust-foes alike, without sacrificing any of the flavor or richness. The sweetness is subtle in this recipe, which allows the natural pumpkin sweetness to shine.
So here's to the cold crispness outside and the warm toasty scents wafting from the oven inside. To pumpkin season.
Spiced Pumpkin Custard (with toasted seeds!)
Serves 6
Ingredients
1 pie pumpkin (puree, about 2 cups)
5 pastured egg yolks (beaten)
4 pastured eggs, whole (beaten)
2 cups goat milk, heavy cream, or cow milk (preferably raw)
1 cup raw honey (or 3/4 cup sugar)
1/4 cup molasses
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp clove
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp ground ginger (or grated fresh for more zing!)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 dash sea salt
creme fraiche or whipped cream, for serving
For baking whole pumpkins:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. remove pumpkin stem, cut in half and remove seeds (save for toasting!). Grease a large baking pan with enough oil to coat, place pumpkin half's cut side down, and massage enough oil on the skins to coat. Bake at 400 degrees F for 45 minutes, or until very soft to the touch.
To toast seeds:
Instead of toasting the seeds in the oven, where I usually unearth a burnt pan of black, tasteless seeds, I like toasting them slowly over a mild heat on the stovetop. If you have a large cast iron pan, whip it out, but if not, any large skillet should work.
Clean seeds by soaking in a bowl of water, then fish all the seeds out with a hand strainer. Let drain for a few minutes. Add seeds to the pan set on medium heat. Stir whenever you remember them, every 10 minutes or so. Add a pinch of salt and even pepper if you like. Experiment with other spices too! Taste the seeds for doneness, when they are golden and crispy inside and out, after about 35-50 minutes of toasting.
For Custard:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Whisk egg yolks with whole eggs. Add pumpkin puree, two cups milk, honey, molasses, vanilla extract, almond extract, salt, and all the spices. Whisk well.
Bring about two inches of water to boil in a double boiler or saucepan fitted with a bowl, and stir the custard continuously until thick enough to coat a spoon.
Pour the thickened custard into a baking our souffle dish and bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the custard’s center comes out clean.
Serve warm or cooled with creme fraiche or hipped cream.
*ENJOY THOSE TOASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS AS A SNACK FOR LATER!*
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