The Great Pumpkin

Man, I LOVE Halloween! Besides it occurring in my favorite season, it also stands as a type of gateway to the rest of the Holiday Season, marking just a few short weeks before Thanksgiving, and just a few more till that holiday momentum sets in through January 1. Some of the best things about Halloween for me are the pumpkins, but so often all I see on porches are the common, orange jack-o-lantern types. Why's everyone gotta hate on all the other cool squash, pumpkins, and gourds??

I am obsessed with squash, and ever since I was small I have relished in their colors, textures, and shapes. This year I restrained myself and purchased only 1 squash a week for the entire month of October. OK, I faltered a little while I was out in Potterville, and picked up a few little ones at a roadside stand, but I focused on making each of them as different as they could be, plus added factors for their flavor and roasted seed potential.

So many people buy their pumpkins at generic grocery stores these days, I'm not suprised they've never heard of a Cinderella pumpkin, or a Turk's Turban. Sometimes I even hear people exclaim over the ugliness of the white pumpkins, or the wierdness of the blue ones. I say to them, "Live a little! Be different!!" Not only are these multi-colored members of the Cucurbitaceae family fascinating examples of biodiversity (look it up- especially if you think Beefsteak tomatoes are the best kind), some are damn good eatin', too!