You’ve read at least one Harry Potter book, I’ll wager. So you know that the most compelling beverage in the whole series is the pumpkin juice served in the Hogwarts dining hall. I’m pretty sure this is made-up and not based on any traditional British recipe (unlike butterbeer), so I have invented a recipe for it, to make a tasty, booze-free Thanksgiving drink that conveniently uses the small pumpkin from the CSA share a few weeks ago. You’ll just need some pumpkin, sugar, spices, and water. Magic optional.

-Moriah Simmons

Pumpkin Juice

Makes 4 small servings

• 1 small pumpkin
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 whole nutmeg, crushed
• 3 cups water

Preheat oven to 350. Wash pumpkin thoroughly, then cut in half and scoop out seeds and pulp. Lay pumpkin cut-side down in a baking pan, add water and spices. Bake for 45 minutes, or until pumpkin is tender. Remove from oven, let cool.

Line a mesh strainer with cheesecloth and place over a tall pot or bowl. Put as much pumpkin pulp in the strainer as will fit, but don’t press or your juice will be cloudy. Leave this in the strainer to drain for at least 30 minutes. Seriously, go watch an episode of Parks and Recreation to distract yourself. You can also put the whole shebang in the refrigerator and leave it overnight. Reserve the pulp for your very own homemade pumpkin pie.

After this demonstration of patience, taste the juice and add a little sugar or lemon juice if you like. Serve in flagons.