People all over the world grow pumpkins for both food and fun. U.S. farmers alone produce one and a half billion pounds of this vivid fruit every year.
Pumpkins have a dual role in our culture and imagination. On the one hand, pumpkin carving is an enjoyable family project. Turning the colorful orb into a playful jack-o-lantern brings together kids, parents, and neighbors for creative inspiration. Kids improve their fine motor skills and artistic talents. Everyone has a feeling of accomplishment as they smile at their jack-o-lantern, who in turn grins back.
On the other hand, pumpkins have a supernatural, spooky aura. The tension between these two views - family friendly and haunted - is part of the plant's attraction and mystery.
Pumpkins are more than just a decoration or craft project. Don't miss out on the chance to enjoy eating this healthy autumn crop. Native Americans, who were the first to grow this plant, ate strips of fire-roasted pumpkins. You can use both the flesh and seeds of pumpkins in so many enticing recipes. Buy the smaller "pie" pumpkins for this, as the large craft-size specimens are not as sweet or tasty.
You can use pumpkin in soups, stews, wraps, casseroles, chili, bread, and - of course - desserts. Fatfreevegan.com has excellent ideas about where to begin; just search for "pumpkin" on that site. Chances are your kids will give pumpkin the thumbs up even if they resist other vegetables.
Roast pumpkin seeds for a healthy snack with a near ideal one-to-one ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids. Wash the seeds in cold water, rubbing them in your hands to clean them. Spread the seeds in a single layer on a lightly oiled cookie sheet, adding whatever seasonings you like. Roast low temperature, about 325 degrees, stirring every 10 minutes, until they are as done as you like. You can eat the white husk right along with the green seed if you want to avoid the hassle of husking the seeds.
Pumpkins are a great addition to a whole foods, plant-based diet. Enjoy them fresh in the fall or canned any time of year.
Janice Stanger, Ph.D., is a plant-based nutrition author, educator, and speaker. You can read chapter excerpts, find recipe resources, and learn about permanent, hunger-free weight loss on the site for her whole-foods book The Perfect Formula Diet. Janice would enjoy connecting with you on Facebook and Twitter.
Home grown photo from local pumpkin patch
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