Chef Chris Cain's Butternut Squash Pie. Photo by Theresa Stanley
Looking for a unique way to put your bounty of fall squash to use? Look no further than this recipe from chef Chris Cain, proprietor of the food truck/culinary pop-up Daughters’ Southern (www.daughterssouthern.com), presented in conjunction with Black Soil, a local nonprofit that promotes and advocates for Black farmers, growers and producers around the state. If you don’t have a bounty of butternut squash in your own garden, Black Soil’s Farmers’ Market, located inside Julietta Market at Greyline Station in north Lexington, is a great place to check for squash, eggs and other ingredients and farm-fresh produce. The Farmers’ Market hours are Tues.-Fri., 10 a.m.-2 p.m., and Sat., 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Butternut Squash puree:
• 1 butternut squash (approx. 3 pounds) or 2 pounds diced squash
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Chef Chris Cain is the owner and chef with the culinary pop-up Daughters’ Southern. Photo by Theresa Stanley
For the filling:
• 2 cups butternut squash puree
• 1½ cup whole milk
• 2 large eggs
• ¾ cup light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
For the crust:
• 1¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
• 4-5 tablespoons water, ice cold
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt
Butternut Squash Puree:
Peel the squash, slice in half and scoop out the seeds. Bake for about 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees. Once the squash is softened, place in blender or food processor and blend with the butter until smooth.
Pie Filling:
Add the 2 cups of butternut squash puree to a large mixing bowl. In a separate, medium-sized mixing bowl combine the brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Stir to combine. Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the butternut squash. Stir to mix. Add the sugar mixture to the butternut squash mixture. Stir to combine. Slowly add in the milk while stirring. Set aside to prepare the pie crust.
Pie Crust:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Add the flour, salt, baking powder and sugar to a food processor. Pulse briefly to combine. Cut the butter into tablespoon-sized pieces and add to the dry ingredients in processor. Pulse until combined – the mixture will look like a coarse meal. Add the water, one tablespoon at a time, pulsing in between. Stop adding water when the pie dough starts to clump together. Pulse until you have a ball of dough. Spread flour onto a clean, flat work surface. Remove the dough from the processor and place in the flour. Carefully work the dough until it is a smooth ball. Flatten gently to form a disc shape. Spread flour on a rolling pin and roll the dough out into a circle that will fit into a pie dish. Carefully fold the dough over your rolling pin and lift off the counter, then place in the pie dish. Flute the edge as desired and remove any excess pie crust. Pour in the pie filling. Bake for about 75-80 minutes, until the center is firm and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Photo by Theresa Stanley