The Great Pumpkin Bread

Although I'm one of the many who has been sucked in to a quick-paced lifestyle, and the cyclone of advanced technology, I still value simple traditions. And this time of year, it's the search for the perfect pumpkin!

South Florida is not the ideal place for pumpkin patches...too much sun, and those lovely round faces rot before Halloween! If I remember correctly, the place to go for a pumpkin was Chestnut Ridge Road in Bergen County, New Jersey!

It seems like yesterday, that the family would ride the Garden State Parkway to the last exit before New York State. Five minutes off the highway, and you had your choice of either Tices Farms or Van Ripers!

Both farms operated since at least the 1800s. And each year the competition was on for the best Apple Cider Donuts!

If you were lucky, the foliage would be at its peak...deep reds, bright golds, burnt oranges, against a backdrop of brilliant blue sky! The air was crisp, and the families came in droves!

Strolling between the two farms, you could see the red barns lined with haystacks, and
overflowing bushel barrels of apples. The apple cider stand had large, sweet smelling barrels, dumping fresh cider into neat rows of plastic gallons. Bags of warm donuts beckoned. The hayride kept circling back for new groups to go on its bumpy adventure. And, of course, there was the winding patch of pumpkins, offering every size, painted and unpainted. The challenge was on to find that clean, unbruised prize possession...ready to be displayed on your front porch or window!

Sadly, after years of excursions, both farms have closed down, only to be replaced by a supermarket, and an upscale shopping strip. While I don't have anything against J Crew or Victoria Secret, this time of year, I do long for life's treasured traditions, and the great pumpkin patches of Chestnut Ridge Road!

You can still bake great pumpkin bread with Mama Melisi's 40 year old recipe! Either way, fresh or canned, it is delicious! We give you the recipe, with love!

From Mama Melisi and Me

Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 2/3 cups flour
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin (canned)
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup white or dark raisins

Preparation:

Add ingredients one at a time in an electric mixing bowl
(Dry ingredients do not have to be sifted)
Mix after each addition
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Spray 2 bread pans (4 x 8 size) with pam or any baking spray
Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour until done
Check with a cake tester

Preparation if you use Fresh Pumpkin:

Scrub pumpkin with hot water
Cut in quarters
Scoop out seeds
Put quarters in roasting pan
Fill pan about half way with water
Cover with foil
Bake 400 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour
Spoon pulp out of skin
Drain pulp well in colander
Puree pumpkin in a blender or food processor
Drain again
*You can freeze fresh pumpkin in 1 cup containers for future breads!