Although these pies are made with cooked vegetable purees, structurally speaking they are actually custard pies and should be handled in a similar way. To set the filling quickly and thus prevent a soggy crust, have the filling at room temperature and the crust warm. If the pie is overbaked, the filling will be coarse and watery around the edges, so remove the pie from the oven as soon as the center quivers like gelatin when the pan is nudged. The pie will continue to set up as it cools. Eat the pie within a day of baking, or the crust will soften.
Fresh Pumpkin: Jack-oΓÇÖ-lantern pumpkins make poor pies, so look instead for an eating variety (there are many) at a specialty market. You will need 5 to 6 pounds pumpkin to make 4 cups of puree, or enough for 2 pies. Split the pumpkins into quarters with a cleaver or heavy knife. Cut out the stem, scrape out the stringy pulp, and hack into 4-inch pieces. Place the pumpkin, rind side down, in an oiled roasting pan, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake at 325┬░F until very soft, about 1 1/2 hours. Scrape the flesh free of the rind and puree in a food processor or force it through a food mill or fine sieve. If the puree seems loose and wet, pour it into a colander lined with cheesecloth, bring the ends of the cheesecloth up over it, and cover with a cake pan and a 5-pound weight. Let the pumpkin drain for 30 to 60 minutes, or until it reaches the same consistency as the canned kind.
Fresh Winter Squash: Prepare fresh squash as for pumpkin, above, using a firm, dense, sweet variety such as butternut or Hubbard. Squash is quite moist and requires thorough draining in cheesecloth as directed above.
