Nathan Hood has cooked in kitchens from Dublin to Honolulu, but returning to the Charleston, South Carolina, area two years ago was a no-brainer. “I was very fortunate to grow up here and was brought up caring about the farmers and purveyors,” says Hood, the executive chef at Post House in Mount Pleasant, across the harbor from downtown Charleston. “You have some of the most fertile soil all around the Charleston peninsula, and some of the best fruits and vegetables I have ever come across.” One of his favorite finds hails from a bit upstate: the Dutch Fork pumpkin, an heirloom that ripens in autumn and sticks around through December. Descended from a variety grown by the Cherokee and cultivated since the early nineteenth century in the Dutch Fork area (where the Broad and Saluda Rivers converge to form a fork), it has a flavor similar to that of butternut squash but makes a silkier and smoother puree that’s unmatched for baking into pies and breads (see recipe). It’s also great for roasting and stuffing for a beautiful side dish at your holiday table. “The density of the meat really sets it apart,” Hood says. “As the meat cooks, it soaks in whatever you put in there while not breaking down and getting watery.”
Once the preferred pumpkin for pies in South Carolina, the heirloom is now much rarer—grown mostly by in-the-know farmers and prized by chefs. If you find this large tan-hued, often irregularly shaped pumpkin—sometimes called the Old Timey Cornfield pumpkin—at the farmers’ market, consider yourself lucky and grab a few. They’ll keep in a cool, dry place for up to four months. Rotate them weekly, and if you notice signs of decay on one, use it right away. While making your own pumpkin puree takes a little more time than just opening a can, it’s well worth the effort. As Hood says, “It’s like comparing canned peaches to ones right off the tree at the end of summer.”
