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Fall weather, cool nights and sunny days call for end of gardening season recipes. Squash and pumpkins are fully ripe and a light frost has hardened the rinds for long winter keeping. Soups and stews are common fare in area slow-cookers and savory breads and luscious desserts round out menus.

Crustless Pumpkin Pie from the website Cupcakes and Kale Chips, is a gluten free recipe, more like a custard than pie, but very rich and smooth. The recipe calls for canned pumpkin but turns out beautifully with 1 2/3 cups cooked pumpkin or winter squash.

Crustless

Pumpkin Pie

1 can (15 ounces) canned pumpkin, or 1 2/3 cups cooked pumpkin or squash

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 Tbsp corn starch

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

3 large eggs

1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a 9 inch glass pie plate on a baking sheet and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine pumpkin, brown sugar, corn starch, salt, pumpkin pie spice. Add eggs and whisk until smooth.

Add evaporated milk and stir gently just until combined. Pour mixture into the pie plate.

Place in oven and bake for 45-to 55 minutes, or until it is still slightly jiggly in the center.

Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. Then chill at least 2 hours before serving. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Note: baking the pie on a baking sheet helps distribute heat evenly for a smooth custard finish.

Pumpkin Pie Spice, called for in the above recipe, is so easy to mix up yourself from spices you most likely have on hand and save the expense of purchasing premixed. Cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice and nutmeg are all you need.

Pumpkin Pie Spice

3 Tbsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp ground nutmeg

1 1/2 tsp ground allspice

1 1/2 tsp ground cloves

Mix all ingredients together and store in a small jar. Yield: about 5 and 1/2 Tbsp spice mix.

Bread pudding is another fall and winter favorite that makes use of day old bread, with milk, eggs and sugar to produce a custard style dessert. I recently tried Pecan Pie Bread Pudding attributed to Paula of CallMe PMc.com. Then I tried it substituting 1 cup cooked pumpkin for 1 cup of the whole milk.

Pecan Pie Bread Pudding

1 loaf (16 ounces) day old French style bread

2 1/2 cups whole milk

1 cup half and half

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup granulated sugar

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp salt

Topping:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an eight inch square pan and set aside.

Cube bread and place in a large mixing bowl. In another bowl, beat eggs with milk, half and half, sugar, salt and vanilla. Pour over bread and allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine with a fork, softened butter, brown sugar and pecans. This mixture will look like wet sand.

Poor half the bread mixture into the prepared pan. Top with half the pecan mixture. Spoon remaining bread mixture over layers in pan. Press mixture down in the pan slightly. Pan will be really full. Top with remaining pecan mixture.

Place pan on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips.

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes until mixture is firm almost to the center. Center will set as it cools. Let stand for 20-30 minutes before serving. Yield 9 to 16 servings depending on size. Serve with a drizzle of heavy cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Note: other bread besides French style may be used, but be sure to allow it to air dry over night before using.

Enchilada Sauce is a quick way to use up a small amount of end of season tomatoes, or it can be made with canned tomatoes.

Enchilada Sauce

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 Tbsp chili powder

1 cup chicken stock

28 ounces peeled crushed tomatoes, fresh or canned

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 Tbsp packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

In a large sauce pan combine flour and oil over medium heat. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in remaining ingredients. Cook and whisk until smooth. Use as directed in recipes.

Note: I like a smooth sauce, so I cool slightly and working in batches, whirl in blender until tomato chunks are incorporated. Store for up to two weeks in the refrigerator or freeze until ready to use. Recipe notes say you can make this gluten free by using a gluten-free flour.

Use your freshly made enchilada sauce in Ground Beef Enchiladas. The recipe is attributed to Kristin Maxwell, Yellow Bliss Road website.

Ground Beef

Enchiladas

1 pound ground beef

1 small white onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 Tbsp taco seasoning

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 cup water

8 to10 corn tortillas

1 can (28 ounces) red enchilada sauce

2-3 cup shredded cheddar jack cheese

1 green onion, sliced thin, garnish

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook ground beef with onions and garlic, breaking up the beef as it cooks until no longer pink. Drain any excess grease.

Sprinkle taco seasoning and cumin over beef and stir in water. Continue cooking, stirring often until water is absorbed.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pour 1/2 cup of sauce in a 13 x 9 inch baking dish and spread evenly.

Heat remaining sauce in a small skillet, just until bubbly. Remove from heat. Wrap the stack of 10 corn tortillas in a clean damp towel and microwave on high for 30 to 60 seconds. Dip a tortilla in enchilada sauce to coat both sides. Place on a plate. Add about 3 Tbsp meat mixture down the center, top with 1-2 Tbsp cheese, Roll up and place seam side down in prepared dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas, top with remaining cheese, sprinkle with green onions. Bake uncovered 20 to 30 minutes until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Yield: about 6 servings.

Share your favorite fall recipes by sending them to: Welcome to My Kitchen, Attn: Laura, P.O. Box 151, Odessa, WA 99159, email [email protected]. Welcome to My Kitchen mail tin is yet to be relocated. Seed a cover crop in your garden space to amend the soil for spring planting.