Samuel is a pumpkin nut. Since the pumpkins ripened he's been hauling one around the house setting it on the table, and even taking it to bed! I thought he would really get into carving this year, and I was right. The boy was right in there scooping out the guts. He loved carving the face on the front, and was thrilled when I lit the candle inside. Fire and a pumpkin? Jackpot!
I'm a fan of the squash, too, although I don't go as far as taking one to bed. I roasted the seeds from the pumpkins we carved, as well as cooked a few of the pie pumpkins I grew in the garden. They smell fabulous roasting in the oven, and it's so handy to have pumpkin puree on hand for mufins and cakes. Cooking a pumpkin, or any squash, is very simple. Cut it in half or quarters, depending on the size, clean out any seeds, and bake in a 350 degree oven for about an hour. I turn off the oven once the time is up,then let it cool before scooping out the meat. I typically measure it out into 2 to 4 cup amounts so I'm ready to grab one and bake.
So far we have a half dozen packages of pumpkin, plus about eight bags of butternut squash. The butternut grew in my plot at the River City Harvest community garden. It was nice to have a space where I didn't have to worry about the plants spreading out, and the squash did well. I like to use the butternut for a butternut/chicken soup (with kale), and would like to try a pasta with a butternut squash filling. At least now that it's in the freezer, I have it on hand to experiment this winter.
