Martha’s Pumpkin and Apples Casserole

This absolutely delicious Fall recipe was given to me by Martha Hoff from Five Points Farm, York Springs, PA. Either a long neck pumpkin or a butternut  squash may be used interchangeably for this recipe. The brown long neck pumpkin is an heirloom variety which make excellent pies and breads. They tend to look like a butternut squash on steroids and are used by many Amish and Mennonite farmers for their baked goods. For those of you who have never cooked a long neck pumpkin or a butternut squash, it is extremely simple.

All you need for this dish is:

• 1 long neck pumpkin or butternut squash
• 2-3 tart apples
• honey
• butter
• cinnamon

For those of you who have never tackled a long neck pumpkin, don’t be intimidated by their awkward shape.  The easiest way I have found to handle them is to first, slice of the neck and cut it up into large pieces.  Using a potato peeler or sharp knife, peel each piece.  For the bulbous end, cut in half, scoop out the seeds and peel each section. For those of you who are a little dubious about this procedure, here’s a link to a site that explains exactly how to cut a long neck pumpkin. The procedure is the same for a butternut squash.

Butternut Squash
According to the quantity that you want to prepare for your family, peel enough squash and apples so that you can layer them alternately in a casserole dish.  Peel the squash and apples and cut in thin pieces.  

Drizzle top layer with honey and add butter.  Sprinkle with cinnamon.  Cover with aluminum foil and cook at 350 degrees until apples and squash are soft when pricked with a fork.   Remove foil and increase heat to 400 degrees. Continue cooking until top is nicely brown and slightly crisp.  Remove from oven and enjoy!

This dish was excellent served with pastured pork chops from  Your Family Cow in Chambersburg, PA and steamed Swiss Chard straight from the garden.

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