At the beginning of the holiday season and pies are integral to our cultural traditions, due to our heritage from the British Isles and French-speaking Canada.

Pies are a pastry container for meats, vegetables and fruits, as we all know.  The 10-12 inch exhibit of bakery perfection that graces our holiday dessert tables is fairly recent in the evolution of pie.  Pies, or pyes as they were called in medieval England, were usually meat spiced with pepper and small fruits like currants or the more exotic dates.  Those with one crust were known as tarts; it took two crusts to be a full blown pie.  Small, individual sizes were baked for travelers or tavern-goers.  Larger version were served at gatherings and some of them were very creative, including live birds added inside at the last minute so when the pie opened up – surprise!  Remember the children’s nursery rhyme Old King Cole?  There is always truth somewhere in a folk tale!

Not to burst the folklore bubble surrounding the first Thanksgiving, but the Pilgrims had no pumpkin pie at their feast in 1621 according to historical documents.  The first reference to pumpkin pie is not found until 1675 when it was first recorded in a cookbook – actually it was a version of boiled squash and spices.  As the colonists expanded in the new country they make “opportunistic” pies, putting anything between two crusts of pastry – meats and an increasing number of all-fruit pies.  Canadian meat pies, one of my favorites, became a traditional Christmas dish in northern areas of New England as well as Canada and in National Heritage Corridor as French-Canadian immigrants came to work in the mills.  We can also thank the French for placing a cheese custard with meats, fish or vegetables into a crust – the famous quiche.

Pie definitely caught on.

The last warm days of the fall brings swarms of ladybugs.  They invade houses, seeming to get through every tiny space.  Not 10 or 20 – hundreds.  They are an invasive species –the Asian Lady Beetles – up to 22 spots on an orange back with a distinct “m” on their pronotums.  Native to China, they were introduced in 1988 to control aphids.  I don’t know if that worked but they did displace and destroy the three species of ladybugs native to Blackstone Valley –  Parenthesis Ladybugs, the Convergent Ladybug (most common) and the Nine-Spot Ladybug, now an endangered species.

Asian Lady Beetles, while carnivorous, do not prefer human flesh but they will bite.  They are a major nuisance, finding their way into everything.  If crushed or vacuumed up, they release a foul odor and leave spots on objects.

So how do we bolster the populations of native Ladybugs and send the Asian Lady Beetle packing?  There are sprays and dusts available from commercial sources that will prevent the Asian Lady Beetle from entering the house.  Non-toxic methods include traps placed near windows and other entry points that use lures to attract and trap the insects.  Caulking cracks, installing weather stripping and repairing broken screens are all useful solutions that will also reduce energy bills.

It was November 10, 1986 when Public Law 99-647 was passed and signed. What an impact that had on our Blackstone Valley! That was the day that Congress created the second National Heritage Corridor in the country – the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor. From that day forward, the role that our watershed played in shaping the future of American Industry was federally-recognized: we became known as the Birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution.

So has it made a difference to have a National Heritage Corridor here in Massachusetts and Rhode Island? The Corridor has brought a federal investment into the region of more than $10 million. It has been able to assist partners – nonprofit, municipalities and state agencies – with scores of projects to preserve our history, our culture, and our natural resources. It has created a unique identity for the 25 towns and cities that make up the geography of the National Heritage Corridor. It has given birth to a new National Historical Park.

That’s 30 years of great work! Here’s to the next 30!

October 20, 2016 – Although it is early in the fall, I’ve noticed that many people have turned their attention to the foods of the season and the particular comfort ones that will get us through the winter months.  I have been involved recently in various conversations about pies (pumpkin, apples, mincemeat, squash, custard…), pumpkin bread and cookies, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, apple cider (sauce, brownies, and Squabble muffins).  I love this season and its culinary traditions.

So here is a recipe Squapple Spice Muffins.  This has lived on an index card in my Mom’s and now my recipe box for years and I don’t know its origin.  Combine 2.5 cups of flour, 2 cups of sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, .25 teaspoon salt, .5 teaspoon of cinnamon, .25 teaspoon of cloves and a dash of nutmeg.  In a separate bowl, combine 2 large eggs, 1 cup of cooked squash, .5 cup of vegetable oil, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla.  Add to the dry ingredients and mix well.  Stir in 2 cups of peeled and chopped apples and .5 cup of chopped walnuts.  Spoon into muffin tins.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes.  If you want a little more sweetness, you can add an optional streussel topping on the batter before baking, made by combining 2 tablespoons of flour, .25 cup of brown sugar, .5 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of softened butter.

Enjoy squash time in the Blackstone Valley!

October 13, 2016 –

I do love squash.

As a child we had a big vegetables garden that included many winter varieties of squash that would eventually occupy space in our basement after the frost.  Blue Hubbard squash was one of them.  It has a wonderful blue-green-gray color that I have always loved and, when broken open, reveals brilliant orange flesh.  The outer rind was so hard that my Dad always chopped it open with an axe on the chopping block so my Mom could cook it.  I suppose that hardness related directly to its keeping quality.

Blue Hubbard can grow to weigh 30 pounds.  Its flesh has a fine texture, with a starchy, thick nature, often described as nutty.  Its excellent flavor works well in all types of squash recipes.  It’s a super food.  It is a great source of vitamin A (beta-carotene), vitamin C, fiber, and manganese.  It also contains omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B1, calcium, iron, copper, niacin-vitamin B3, vitamin B6, pantothenic acid and folate.

But put away the axe.  An easier way to deal with the hard rind is to make several vent holes in the top (larger the squash the greater number of holes needed) and I don’t discount the usefulness of an electric drill to make the holes!  Then place it in a shallow pan of water and bake at 350 degrees until it is fork tender and you can cut it up, remove the seeds and enjoy.    Of course, there may be a problem getting a 30-pound Blue Hubbard into your oven.

Remember to buy Blackstone Valley Blue Hubbard!