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| - It is fall, and pumpkins are everywhere, but just about all of them are the jack-o-lantern type, with a few small "pie" pumpkins thrown into the mix. I don't want any of these, so I put Waldo dog into the car (he's going to have to stay in the car, cuz no dogs allowed, but it's a cool day, and it's better than leaving his sad face at home) and went to Shaker Square's farmers market.
A few years ago, a client walked into my office with a pumpkin for me - - who brings their State Farm agent a pumpkin as a gift? One who knew that I like to bake, and she wanted to introduce me to Long Island Cheese pumpkins. Unfamiliar with the LICP, I emailed a facebook friend who had been a contestant on Master Chef, and he messaged back that with this squash, I was going to make the best pumpkin pie ever. He was right; family members were asking me for my recipe and for another slice of pie. From that time forward, I was going to use only LICPs for my pies. I discovered, however, that in this neck of the woods, they are not easy to find. I tried to grow them from the seeds of that gifted pumpkin, but found that the resident deer are also very fond of them (and I am unable to put up a fence high enough to keep out Bambi & Co.).
The market is located smack dab in the middle of the square, and there are places to park all around; on a busy morning, you may need to park a ways out and walk, but it's a pleasant stroll. I began at one end of the market, and resisted the temptation to buy purple cauliflower (love it roasted!), honey, garlic, etc., but I was on a mission, and found my pumpkin at the other end of the market. I had a good conversation with the grower (always nice to know who's grown your food), who let me know that she will have these LICPs into November; yes, I will return!
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