The day after Hallowe’en is always a good time to apply one’s culinary ingenuity in confronting the “gourd issue”: should one just take the easy way out and compost the sucker, or do another Google search for pumpkin recipes? Since I grew the gourd in question, I’ve usually opted for the latter—this year, though, I skipped the internet and came up with something of my own. It’s hearty, warming, and goes well with a sprinkling of croutons made from your kids’ leftover breakfast toast, as I discovered yesterday.

Curried Pumpkin Soup

2-3 cups pureed pumpkin pulp (or winter squash)

1 large onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic (or more!)

Butter or olive oil for sauteing

2 teaspoons of chopped fresh ginger

½ cup red lentils

4-5 cups vegetable stock or water

2 teaspoons curry powder or curry paste

1 carrot, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

Salt to taste

In a soup pot, saute onions in oil or butter over medium heat until translucent, then add carrot, celery, garlic and ginger and continue cooking another 5 minutes. Stir in curry, then add stock, pumpkin, lentils, and salt. Cook covered over low-medium heat until lentils are mushy, stirring every so often. Add croutons and/or a dollop of plain yogurt before serving, if desired. Freezes well.

Over Thanksgiving, we brought in the squash harvest, one of the best ever. I attribute much of its success to the happy arrival two years ago of a neighbour with a passion for horses and a small front-end loader. What a great morning that was last June when I heard her tractor grinding up the driveway, its bucket brimming with beautiful aged manure. The squash had already been planted, and her aim was perfect as far as they were concerned—these gourds look like they’re on steroids!

I grow a kind of heritage pumpkin known as Galeux d’Eysines, a big, creamy cheese wheel of a squash with a few harmless warts on its skin, and a dense, flavourful flesh that is wonderful in soups, muffins, loaves, and pies. I think of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s description of how her pioneering family used cooked pumpkin as a butter substitute during lean times, without sacrificing any of the richness of the dairy spread.

Then there’s this happy childhood memory from her log cabin childhood: “The attic was a lovely place to play. The large, round, coloured pumpkins made beautiful tables and chairs…. Often the wind howled outside with a cold and lonesome sound. But in the attic Laura and Mary played with the squashes and the pumpkins, and everything was snug and cosy.”

Every coffee shop in North America is serving up extra-large helpings of Pumpkin Spice Lattes these days, rich with the warming flavours of cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Instead of sending your Jack-o-Lantern to the green bin two weeks from now, why not give it another chance on your winter toast with this recipe where you can use as much or as little pumpkin as you wish? It’s marmaladeish, with the addition of citrus, with a mellow warmth.

Pumpkin Preserves

Peel and dice a small to medium-size pumpkin (or a part of one!) into small pieces. Measure out an equal amount of white sugar (cup for cup) for the amount of pumpkin you’re using. Wash, seed, and dice two lemons, preferably organic, and add them to the pumpkin and sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add a dozen whole cloves to the pan. Bring everything to a boil over medium heat until pumpkins pieces are glazed. Spoon into clean, freezer-safe jars.

Because of the low acidity and density of pumpkins, I don’t recommend canning this preserve. To be safe, it’s best to keep it in the freezer.