Pumpkin Bread

This bread came out every fall and is the very essence of autumn spiciness. is it any wonder fall was my favorite season? It makes two regular-sized loaves, which is a good thing because my recollection is that the first loaf never made it past day one.

INGREDIENTS 2 ½ c flour ½ t salt ½ t baking powder 1 t baking soda 1 ½ t ground cloves 1 ½ t cinnamon 1 ½ t nutmeg 2 c sugar ¾ c butter 2 eggs 1 ½ c canned pumpkin

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 325⁰. Cream sugar, butter, eggs and pumpkin. Add dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Divide batter into two loaf pans that have been greased and floured. Bake for 60-75 minutes, checking for doneness with a toothpick.

BEVERAGES

Wassail Punch

(SERVES 20)

Mom inherited this recipe – along with hosting duties for the Twelfth Night party – from a North Monroe Street neighbor named Blanche who moved away and needed a successor. It’s a hot wine-based punch, and the smell is pure Dolby party. This may be the only recipe mom ever followed exactly –- at least at first. As the years went on, she knew the recipe so well, she’d just wing it, and the claret turned into whatever red wine she happened to buy at Safeway. Still tasted exactly the same.

There are notes all over the recipe from where she tripled it on up to sextupling it. That year must have been quite a cheerful bash.

INGREDIENTS 1 c sugar 1 qt water 2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half Whole cloves and grated orange rind (Erin’s note: no quantities are given here, so I’m going to guess 4 cloves and rind of one medium orange)

DIRECTIONS Boil for 5 minutes and strain, discarding spices. Add:

INGREDIENTS 1 c lemon juice 1 quart orange juice ½ gallon claret 2 c brandy

DIRECTIONS Bring to simmer and turn down to low. Keep warm for serving. If you have punch cups, this is the time to bring them out.

Pesto

I don’t remember when the first time was that I had pesto, but I do recall that it was because mom made it from this recipe. There are no notes about its origin, which usually means she jotted it down in conversation with someone in passing. Lori wrote “I LOVE” at the bottom. I did then, and I still do, too! The other thing I remember about this pesto is that mom would make it in the summer, then freeze it in ice cube trays and we’d have it all winter long.

INGREDIENTS 2 c tightly packed basil leaves 1 c olive oil ½ c parmesan cheese ¼ c pine nuts 2 cloves garlic (or more)

DIRECTIONS Process basil in food processor until finely chopped. Add nuts, garlic and cheese and process briefly. Then drizzle in olive oil just until all is blended. Store in a jar in the refrigerator. Add an additional bit of olive oil to the top of the jar to keep it fresh longer.

Sara’s Favorite Recipes

SELECTIONS FROM THE BIG GREEN NOTEBOOK