Pumpkin Pie Project brings taste of tradition to those in need

Due to the recent resurgence in COVID-19 cases, many Thanksgiving traditions are off the table in 2020. But thanks to a Gunbarrel chef, pumpkin pie won't be among them for Boulder County residents in need. For the last three weeks, Mary Capone of Simply Clean Eats has been hard at work crafting and baking 125 holiday desserts for the Boulder and Longmont Food Rescue organizations, which distribute nutritious food to "feed hungry, homeless, and low-income populations directly".

"We're all isolated these days, and I really felt like this was a way to show that there was a bigger community that cared," Capone said of the impetus behind her Pumpkin Pie Project, launched in early November. "I don't know what inspired me, but I've been a baker and a gluten-free culinary instructor...and I've done a lot in the allergen-friendly arena. And I just felt like I wanted to reach out and give back to the community in some way."

Capone chose to partner with BFR and LFR for her project after researching a similar organization on the east coast. She said she likes their less wasteful approach and the wide variety of local groups that benefit from their services. For example, at least some of her Thanksgiving pies are destined for HOPE Longmont, an organization that assists the homeless.

"They are not doing typical food banks. They bring food to different places in the community, like low-income housing, senior centers, even preschools or grade schools that need it. This is a different way of distributing. I thought it was a great idea to take food that is typically wasted and bring it to people that need it-to close that equation."

Capone's flavorful twist on the holiday favorite is made with "all the greatest natural and organic ingredients I could get," including pure pumpkin and cage-free eggs. The culinary professional has been committed to "allergy friendly" cooking and baking since 2003, when she was diagnosed with celiac disease, an immune reaction to consuming gluten. In the years since, she has written two cookbooks and numerous articles on the subject, conducted cooking classes, and established the website Simply Clean Eats.

"It's all about teaching people how to feed themselves well and seasonally with healthy and allergen-friendly foods," she said.

Of course, making 125 allergen-friendly pies from scratch is no easy task, even experienced baker like Capone, and pandemic concerns made it a lonely one as well. To assist with the enormous undertaking, she enlisted the help of her two sisters in the area, who were eager to help from a distance. She also opened a Go Fund Me drive to help offset some costs. Still, the bulk of the work fell on Capone and two "reluctant recruits" at home in her husband and daughter, though they established a steady and productive routine.

"I just didn't feel comfortable having people in my own kitchen at this point, even my own sisters," Capone said. "So, I literally made 125 pie crusts, then I distributed them amongst the three of us, and they helped me roll them out and put them into the pans. I'd start around 10 in the morning and finish around three in the afternoon and do it again the next day and the next and the next. It's a gluten-free pastry crust, really delicious, but it can be finicky, so it was really great to have that help."

Capone and her team finished the final batch of pies earlier this week, and are looking forward to a long restful weekend. Nevertheless, she is already planning the next iteration of the Pumpkin Pie Project and is considering the model for other holiday treats, such as cookies. More than that, however, she is looking forward to opening her kitchen to a crowd once again, and sharing her love of food to any and all who want to join her.

"I'm hoping by next fall there will be a community of bakers in my kitchen," she said. "That becomes much more joyful for me as well. It's not only less work, but fun work then."

Mary Capone's Honey Ginger Pumpkin Pie

Add to One 9" Pie Crust

Ingredients:

1 15 ounce can of Pure Pumpkin

1/2 cup packed Brown Sugar

1/3 cup honey

3 eggs

1 1/4 whipping cream, Half and Half or dairy free cream of choice

1 TBL finely grated fresh ginger or ground ginger

1 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

Mix It Up:

*Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

*Mix together in large bowl pumpkin, sugar and honey.

*Whisk in eggs one at a time, cream, ginger, cinnamon and salt.

*Pour into pie crust and bake until set, about 60 minutes.

Gluten Free Sweet Pastry Crust

This sweet pastry crust is the perfect companion to any fruit or sweet pie filling. The best thing about it is that it's light, flaky and easy to make. Makes one 9" pie crust

Ingredients:

1 cup Mary's Baking Mix (see below)

2 TBL sweet rice flour or tapioca flour

2 TBL sugar of choice

1/4 tsp salt

6 TBL unsalted butter or butter alternative, well chilled

1 large egg

1 TBL or more ice water

Mix It Up:

*Preheat oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease a 9" glass pie plate.

*In a food processor, mix dry ingredients: Baking Mix, sweet rice flour, sugar and salt. Pulse to blend.

*Cut in butter just until mixture resembles coarse meal.

*Add egg and water, and mix just until dough forms a ball.

*Flatten dough into a 6" disk, and place between two sheets of dusted parchment or wax paper. Refrigerate for 1/2 hour.

Remove from refrigerator and roll out dough between the parchment paper sheets to an 11" round. Place in pie plate, crimp border, add filling and bake according to pie or tart recipe.

Mary's Gluten-Free Baking Mix

4 cups brown rice flour or 2 cups brown rice and 2 cups white rice for a lighter crust

1 1/3 cup potato starch

2/3 cup tapioca flour or starch

To prepare your mix, whisk together flours until blended well. Store any unused flour in a sealed container in the pantry.