Halloween Pumpkins

Carving Halloween Pumpkins is great - but what about painting them! The problem with carving pumpkins is that it has to be a bit of last minute thing, or they go all shriveled and nasty. Shrunken heads are one thing at Halloween, but shriveled pumpkins - I don't think so! It's not much fun for the little ones either because they can't help out where sharp tools are involved.

Painting Pumpkins is a whole other thing though, the whole family from oldest to youngest can take part. It's quick and easy and you can do it well in advance if you are pushed for time at Halloween. It would be great to have a whole family of pumpkins, one painted by each of the family.

Easy Pumpkin Painting is a fantastic little book that tells you everything you need to know. There are ideas for designs, what types of paint to use and even some fund raising ideas for your local groups. Personally I like the idea of getting everyone at your kid's Halloween Party to paint their own pumpkin, it will keep them happily occupied for ages.

Pumpkin Seeds are just delicious roasted - this is how I do them....

1 - Preheat the oven to 350ºF

2 - Cut open the pumpkin and carefully scoop out the seeds

3 - Wash the seeds in a large bowl of clean water, rubbing them between your hands to get rid of all the flesh

4 - Put them on a paper towel to dry

5 - When they are dry put them into a bowl and pour a little oil over them and mix well so they are coated

6 - Spread the seeds onto a flat cookie tray with sides so they don't slip off

7 - sprinkle with your favorite seasoning, just salt and pepper is good, but I add a dash of chili as well for extra 'bite', you can use a sweet seasoning too, a little sugar or honey drizzled over the seeds.

8 - Bake for 30 - 40 minutes until they are golden brown, the time will vary depending on the size of the seeds

9 - Eat them warm, which I think is best, or store in an airtight jar when cooled.

This is delicious if it's cold on Halloween...

1 tbsp (15 ml) Vegetable Oil
1 tsp (5 ml) grated root ginger
1 tsp (5 ml) grated nutmeg
½ tsp (3ml) ground coriander
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 medium potato, chopped
2 sticks of celery, chopped
1½ - 2 lbs (700 - 900 gms) pumpkin flesh , chopped
½ - ¾ pint (300 - 425 mls) vegetable stock
Lemon juice - to taste
Salt and Pepper - to taste
Sour Cream or Yoghurt - optional

Heat the oil in large heavy pan, and then gently fry the ginger, nutmeg and coriander for 4-5 minutes to release the flavours

Add all the chopped vegetables, put the lid on the pan and sweat them for about 20 minutes or so until the pumpkin is really soft.

Add half a pint of the stock, season with salt, pepper and lemon juice and simmer for about another 20 minutes.

Using a blender, liquidize the soup, if it is too thick you can add more stock at this point.

Return to a clean pan, heat gently and check the seasoning.

Serve with a swirl of Sour Cream or Yoghurt.

If you want to serve it in a Roasted Pumpkin as a real 'centrepiece' dish hollow out the pumpkin, leaving some of the flesh inside it - about an inch thickness is good. Rub the inside with a little oil, salt and pepper. Make sure you have a good 'lid' on your pumpkin. Make the soup as above.

Meanwhile preheat the oven to Gas 5, 190ºC, 375ºF, and place the prepared pumpkin on an ovenproof serving dish that you can present it on.

When the soup is made, pour it into the pumpkin and put the 'lid' on. Place it into the oven for about 45 minutes until the pumpkin is cooked.

Serve the soup from the pumpkin and scoop out some chunks of the flesh from the inside to float in the soup.

I like to serve it with a few toasted pumpkin seeds in it as well - just to give it that authentic Halloween funny food feel, as you never know what spooky things might come up from the depths of the bowl!