Pumpkins are probably most associated with Halloween and Thanksgiving, but if you use them only for jack-o'-lanterns and pie filling, you're missing out on a good thing. They are wonderfully versatile; the flesh of the squash-like fruit – commonly referred to as a vegetable – can be boiled, baked, steamed or roasted, working well in stews and soups, but it also shines in sweet dishes like pies, cheesecakes and mousses.
Pumpkin is rich in beta-carotene, an antioxidant that may reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer; it protects against heart disease as well as some degenerative aspects of aging.
Josh Oulton and Patricia Bishop of TapRoot Farms, in the Annapolis Valley, NS, grow many types of organic vegetables, including pumpkins-they plant six varieties on six to seven acres each year. Each acre produces close to 6,000 pumpkins. Some varieties, such as 'Sugar Pie,' are popular for cooking; others, such as 'Jack Be Little,' are purely ornamental. (Last year they produced 40,000 pounds of ornamental pumpkins alone.)
Of course, you can't talk about pumpkins and not talk about the late Howard Dill, from Windsor, NS-he was the four-time world-champion pumpkin grower. He patented the seeds from his giant pumpkins, called 'Atlantic Giant;' people from all over the world now grow them.
If you, too, produce a whopper of a pumpkin and are feeling buoyed by that fact, you can take your hollowed-out Personal Vegetable Craft down to Windsor's Lake Pesaquid, and climb aboard for a chance to win the 11th Annual Pumpkin Regatta, held October 11. If this doesn't float your boat, you can still enter the 25th Annual Pumpkin Weigh-Off contest, October 3. Last year's winner, from Kensington, PEI, weighed in at 1,315 pounds.
Activities of this month-long festival take place throughout the Annapolis Valley. Events include the Pumpkin People Festival in Kentville (October 3-25), and a cemetery tour in Hantsport (October 16).
Speaking of Hantsport, if you're feeling overwhelmed by the thought of growing a giant pumpkin, consider entering the world's Smallest Pumpkin Weigh-Off (October 24). For more information about this festival go to valleypumpkinfest.com.
One final note: instead of carving a likeness of your uncle Frank on your Halloween pumpkin, why not paint it on, using water-based paint? That way you can still use the meat inside, perhaps to try one of the delicious recipes that follow.