Green Pumpkin Pie

This is for my cousin, Monica, who also hates to see anything go to waste.

I came across this recipe in The Little House Cookbook years ago when the girls were very young. I had always wanted to try it, but never got to the pumpkins until they were too ripe. It wasn't until this year, however, that Edmund's gentle pleas and Will's reading the recipe over and over at the kitchen table motivated me to stop canning for an afternoon and turn to the few green pumpkins we had left. I made a few modifications in the spices, but the results were a delightful surprise. I found that the leftover pie was even better since the flavors had a chance to meld. Enjoy!

Green Pumpkin Pie

1 pastry crust recipe
Green pumpkin, about 4 lbs., or enough to fill a pie shell
1 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Pinch of salt
1/3 c. cider, the harder, the better
1 tsp. butter

Pare and seed pumpkin. Slice thinly, and put in bottom of pie shell. Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together. (You may want to add a tablespoon or two of flour if you want the syrup thicker.) Cover the pumpkin with the sugar mixture. Pour the cider over everything, add the butter, and cover with the top crust. Bake at 425 for 15 min. and then at 350 for 45 min.