The Pumpkin Patch

Memories come in waves, with scent being one of the most powerful influences. The distinctive smell that accompanies digging out pumpkin seeds before carving immediately take me back to childhood. Autumn is synonymous with golden leaves and the search for the ultimate pumpkin. Crooked Run Orchard in Purcellville, Virginia is your destination for a picture perfect search! http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://crookedrunorchard.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/gourdians.jpg&imgrefurl=http://crookedrunorchard.com/&usg=__R0iCpPZUSn7CCYwsm6QIFW7neBo=&h=768&w=510&sz=460&hl=en&start=14&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=nH908mdjnEkSpM:&tbnh=142&tbnw=94&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dvariety%2Bof%2Bpumpkins%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den%26um%3D1

Sketching always precedes setting up shop with an approach as meticulous as an architect, followed by surgeon-like steady! Before you know it jack-o-lanterns set houses a glow beckoning brave visitors, while pumpkin innards are the prime ingredients to Thanksgiving’s historic desserts.



The all-American staple is Libby’s pumpkin puree. “When Pilgrims first arrived in the New World, they discovered many new things. One was the Native American's use of pumpkin. Many people associate pumpkin pie with the Pilgrims, but in actuality their first pies were not pies at all. Early Americans would scoop out a pumpkin, fill it with milk and pumpkin flesh and cook it for hours in hot ashes, often adding spices and syrup to make pudding.
Pumpkin soon became a focal point for the Pilgrims' Thanksgiving festivities, so much so that one early celebration was actually postponed until the arrival of a supply ship carrying molasses — a vital ingredient for baking the much-loved pies.
Early American cooks soon found all kinds of culinary uses for pumpkin. This golden fruit of the vine found its way into breads, puddings and sauces. Settlers would also dry out slices of pumpkin and store them for later when the snow was high and food was scarce. Pumpkin still remains a staple in America's kitchens even to this day.” http://www.verybestbaking.com/products/libbys/history.aspx


Whether you’re using pumpkins and gourds as your centerpiece or for pumpkin bread and pies, they are merely accessories to the purpose for gathering. We are so fortunate to have celebrated Thanksgiving in America and enjoy the freedoms on which our country was founded.



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