Bourbon and Brown Butter Pumpkin Pie

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups pumpkin puree
3 large eggs
1/2 cup half and half
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons Bourbon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
Pinch ground clove
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 9-inch fully baked pie crust

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat. Once melted and the white solids have begun to rise the top, swirl the pan every 30 seconds or so. Stay close to the pan - the butter can go from browned to burnt very quickly. The butter will begin to brown after about 4 to 5 minutes, it will smell nutty and look dark golden. Once it hits that color, and the furious bubbling dies down somewhat, it’s ready. Remove from the heat. Allow the browned butter to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the browned butter, pumpkin puree, cream, eggs, sugar, brandy, spices, and salt. Pour mixture into the cooled pie shell.

Transfer pie to a large baking sheet. Bake until crust is golden and center jiggles just slightly when shaken, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

Yield: 8 servings.

Raw Kale Salad with Anchovy-Date Dressing

Makes 6 servings

8 large medjool dates, pitted, smashed, and finely chopped
6 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Finely grated zest of 2 oranges
Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
2 large or 3 small bunches Tuscan kale, ribs removed

In a medium bowl, stir together the dates, anchovies, garlic, orange zest, and lemon zest. Stir in the olive oil and vinegar.

Wash and dry the kale leaves; Stack the leaves and slice them thinly crosswise.  Transfer greens to a large salad bowl. Add the vinaigrette and toss gently to combine.