I've never met a pumpkin I didn't like. That goes for the big, orange variety that you find sitting on front porches to the smallest, hard-skinned, struggle-in-the-kitchen variety.

That struggle in the kitchen is probably the primary reason why most cooks hesitate to even think about preparing recipes calling for fresh pumpkin or winter squash, but I hope you'll consider changing that attitude.

This year's Southern Illinois pumpkin crop was less plentiful than in recent years, but I haven't noticed a shortage of availability at my favorite farmers' market. In fact, a week ago, I purchased several varieties to use in preparing a girlfriend's luncheon featuring nothing but pumpkin and squash recipes.

My menu was a bit of a cultural combo that included foods from around the globe because most food cultures commonly use squash and pumpkin. Although in the United States we have turned the pumpkin into an icon of everything that is autumn, when we think of cooking with pumpkin, we think of opening a can of puree. There is nothing wrong with that, but there is more to be done with pumpkin than our traditional pumpkin pie.

Pumpkin and squash appear at the beginning of the food timeline, and they may have been used as cooking vessels or weapons long before anybody thought about eating them. There are many theories about their trips around the world, but Rosemary Moon, author of 1998's "American Harvest Cookbook," said a popular belief is Polynesian voyagers took them to South American, and then they were "discovered" by European explorers and taken back to Europe.

Fortunately, pumpkins and squash were already growing in America when our Pilgrim mothers and fathers arrived on New England shores. Nutritious pumpkin probably played a big part in keeping them alive. From the days of the first pilgrims to the days of the western frontier, pumpkin was an integral part of the diets of new Americans. So, why not make it part of yours with some special recipes? Those included with this column are adapted from recipes in Edith Stovel's cookbook, "Pumpkin."

DEBBIE MOORE is executive director of Carbondale Convention and Tourism Bureau; she's also a true food, columnist and author. Check out her Web site at www.sliceofpie.biz.

Preparing them for cooking

Fresh pumpkin isn't fast food, but the time used in preparing it is well worth the investment. Here's what I do:

 Cut the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds and membrane.

 Cut pumpkin into manageable wedges or chunks and place it in a heavy roasting pan, skin side down. Line the pan with foil, for easy cleanup, then drizzle a little canola or olive oil on the bottom; place the pumpkin on the foil and drizzle more oil on the pumpkin.

 Roast at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes; the time required depends on the size and thickness of the pumpkin, so check in frequently. When a fork inserts easily into the flesh, it is done.

 After the pumpkin cools, you can easily remove the skin.

You can also bake a pumpkin or squash. Place halves, flesh side down, in a roasting pan with about an inch of water in it. Bake the squash at 375 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes, checking it frequently. When the squash is done, you can scoop the pulp from the shell.

Another method is to boil the pumpkin or squash. Cut the squash in chunks and gently boil it for 30 minutes. It is very important to watch this process and remove the squash from the water as soon as it is done, so it doesn't absorb so much water and turn to mush.

- Debbie Moore

Butternut and Pistachio Pate

1/3 cup pistachios

8 ounces of cream cheese, softened

2 teaspoons hot chili papper paste

1 teaspoon garlic taste

In a food processor, grind pistachios. To the processor, add cream cheese, hot chili pepper paste and garlic paste. Process until smooth and serve with whole wheat crackers. Garnish with salted pistachios.

Curried Pumpkin Tarts

1 package prepared Phyllo cups

Salted peanuts

For filling:

2 cups small chunks of raw pumpkin

½ cup chopped onion

Olive oil

¼ cup coconut milk

2 tablespoons of chunky peanut butter

1 teaspoon fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 teaspoon Thai green curry past

½ teaspoon minced ginger

Have Phyllo cups ready.

Sauté pumpkin and onion in a little olive oil until the pumpkin is tender. Remove the pumpkin from the skillet, and let it cool. Stir together coconut milk, peanut butter, cilantro, lime juice, Thai green curry paste and minced ginger. Gently fold in the pumpkin/onion mixture and spoon the ingredients into the Phyllo cups. Top with salted peanuts. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: This filling can be refrigerated for a couple of days, so it is easy to make ahead, filling the pastry cups just before baking.

Lentil Pumpkin Soup with Spinach

For soup:

2 cups dried brown lentils

2 stalks of celery, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, sliced in thin rounds

1 teaspoon garlic paste

½ pound of smoked sausage, cut into chunks

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

8 cups of vegetable broth

Additional Ingredients:

1 large can of chopped tomatoes

1½ cups pumpkin puree

Final Ingredients:

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

4 cups of fresh spinach

Combine the soup ingredients in a large stock pot and simmer for 30 minutes until the lentils are tender. Stir in the additional ingredients and continue to simmer for 15 minutes. The pumpkin can be freshly made or from a can. Just before serving, add the final ingredients and let the soup steep for about 10 minutes until the spinach has wilted into soup.

Acorn Squash Corn Casserole

One Acorn squash, roasted and pureed

1 cup chopped onion

¼ cup butter

3 cups corn (fresh or frozen)

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

2 eggs

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup half and half

Brown onion in butter. Add corn, sugar, salt, pepper and thyme. Sauté for five minutes or until the frozen corn is thawed. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, flour and half and half. Add the pureed squash. Stir in the corn ingredients and pour into a prepared casserole dish or individual ramekins. Bake at 325 degrees for one hour.

Note: If you use individual ramekins, place them in a larger roasting pan and surround them with hot water. Reduce the baking time to 30 minutes.

Pasta with Pumpkin and Baby Portabellas

8 ounces sliced baby portabella mushrooms

1 cup chopped onion

3 cups chunks roasted pumpkin

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1 teaspoon garlic paste

1 cup water or chicken broth

½ to 1 pound of grilled boneless skinless chicken thighs

1 ½ cups half and half

12 ounces of cooked pasta

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Sauté the mushrooms and onion in olive oil for five minutes. Add the roasted pumpkin, sage, salt, pepper, garlic and water and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken and stir in the half and half. Add the cooked pasta and transfer to a casserole dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan and bake, covered for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve with additional cheese, freshly ground sea salt and pepper.

Pumpkin Rice Pudding

4 cups cooked rice

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup canned coconut milk or condensed milk

¾ cup canned or fresh pumpkin puree

1/3 cup brown sugar

½ cup raisins

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine the ingredients and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Note: Because there are no eggs in this recipe, it can also be made in a rice steamer, by stirring the ingredients into hot steamed rice and holding on the "warm" setting of the steamer for 45 minutes. It can be held at the "warm" setting for up to two hours.