Schenectady Synecdoche

Cooking pumpkin & pumpkin-type winter squash

Wash and cut it in half. For squash of this size, I cut into 4 pieces rather than 2. Remove seed & strings. Place in a pan, shell side up, and bake at 325° for 1 hour or more, till it is tender and begins to fall apart. Scrape the pulp from the shell. If you're working with pumpkin, you'll then need to strain it. But the Long Island cheese squash is so tender that all you'll need to do is mash it a little.

Pie crust

1-1/2 c sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 t salt
1/2 c shortening (I use Crisco)
4-5 tablespoons cold water
Sift together flour and salt. Divide shortening in half. Using a pastry blender or blending fork, cut in first half till mixture looks like corn meal. Then cut in remaining half till like small peas. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the water over part of flour-shortening mixture. Gently toss with fork; push to one side of bowl.
Sprinkle next tablespoon water over dry part; mix lightly; push to moistened part at side. Repeat till all is moistened. Gather up with fingers; form into a ball.
On lightly floured surface, flatten ball slightly and roll 1/8" thick. If edges split, pinch together. Always roll spoke-fashion, going from center to edge of dough. Use light strokes.
To transfer pastry, roll it over rolling pin; unroll pastry over pie plate, fitting loosely onto bottom and sides.

Pumpkin pie

1-3/4 cups cooked pumpkin (or LI cheese squash)
3/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 to 1-1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ginger
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cloves
3 slightly beaten eggs
1 cup milk
1 6-oz can evaporated milk
1 9" unbaked pastry shell
Thoroughly combine the pumpkin, sugar, salt, and spices. Blend in eggs, milk, and evaporated milk. Pour into unbaked pastry shell. Bake at 400° 60-70 minutes or till knife inserted halfway between center and outside comes out moist but clean. Cool.

Pumpkin soup

I haven't tried this recipe with this squash yet, but I'm pretty darned confident that I'll like the results when I do.
6 cups chicken broth
4 cups pumpkin
2 medium onions, chopped
salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 cup water
1 cup milk
In a large saucepan, heat the broth and add the pumpkin, onions, salt, and pepper. Cook the soup until the pumpkin is soft, about 20 minutes.
Puree the soup in batches in a blender or food processor, or force the soup through a sieve. Return the soup to the pan. Put the flour in a cup, and add the water, stirring until smooth. Add the flour mix to the soup and heat, stirring, till the soup comes to a boil.
Add the milk.