"'I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers." A marvelous quote my wife recently blurted out in a car ride through the fall country side. I'll ignore the fact that it came from Anne of Green Gables. Growing up in a home with three sisters I've spent a lifetime avoiding Anne of Green Gables, Sarah of Avonlea, Laura of Walnut Grove and Margaret of New York and later New Jersey. In fact, I've somewhat mastered the art of avoidance having grown up without ever seeing Grease, Sound of Music, or Dirty Dancing... but I digress..
Octobers in Canada are magical and we spent a recent weekend at Brooks Farms north of Toronto taking in all of the splendor that is fall. Nature paints a perfect backdrop of greens, oranges, reds and yellows for some October fun. The air is cool and crisp but not so cool that you need to wear a jacket as you chase the kids around outdoors.
Brooks Farms celebrates with a Fall Festival each year and they play up every wonderful aspect of the season. Pumpkin picking, a corn maze and hay rides are a given, but at Brooks Farms they've been perfecting the experience for years. I could hardly keep the kids in one place for long. Zip lines, a massive pillow jumps, farm animals galore, and pig races make it a day full of fun. Corn cob blasters, pumpkin cannons and live zombies just make it ridiculously memorable. The thing I love the most is that fall fun is easy. Whether it's a walk through woods, raking leaves in the yard, or a fun filled day at the farm.
I took inspiration from our fabulous October day at the farm and cooked up a couple of pumpkin pies. This recipe uses pumpkin purée but you can just as easily use freshly roasted pumpkin and puree it yourself! Silky smooth, full of fall flavours, and perfect with a dollop of whipped cream. Both pies disappeared within 24 hours — which I consider a resounding two-thumbs up from my greatest critics. Quick, give this simple recipe a try before the season is gone!
Simple and Quick Pumpkin Pie
Sprinkle nutmeg over pie crust and bake as per instruction to set. Cool on rack.
In a saucepan over medium-low, heat milk with cream just until bubbles form around edge of pan. Combine with eggs, brown sugar, pumpkin purée, cinnamon, allspice and salt. Gently pour into pie shell; bake in 450 F oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 F; cook for 25 minutes or until tip of knife inserted into centre comes out clean.
Serve chilled with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Adapted from Foodland Ontario
Feeling Fall-tastic? Try these Pumpkin Spice Donuts with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Filling!
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