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Pumpkins are seemingly everywhere each fall — in the grocery, at farmer's markets, and at produce stands. Many people will be buying a pumpkin or two to decorate for Halloween, but there are tastier things to do with pumpkins.

Pumpkin pie made with freshly prepared pumpkin is superior to that made with a canned product and it is very easy to make. All pumpkins are edible, but the smaller "pie" or "sugar" pumpkins are the most tender and sweet for cooking purposes. And pumpkin is quite nutritious. One cup of of cooked pumpkin contains 2650 IU of Vitamin A, 564 mg. of potassium, 3 grams of fiber, and only 49 calories.

Prepare pumpkins for recipes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Scrub pumpkin with soap and water. Cut in half, scrape out strings, pulp and seeds. Save seeds for snacks. Place cut sides of pumpkin down on a baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes or until soft enough for a knife to easily slide through the pumpkin. Scrape out the pumpkin flesh and place in a food processor or heavy-duty blender. Process until smooth. The pumpkin is now ready to use in recipes. 2 cups of puree equals one 16 oz. can of solid pack canned pumpkin.

Roasted pumpkin seeds

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Wash about 2 cups of pumpkin seeds in a colander and remove all the pulp you are able to remove. Toss in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Spread seeds on a cookie sheet, sprinkle with salt, and then roast for about 45 minutes or until golden brown. Cool and enjoy.

Pumpkin pie

One 9-inch unbaked pie shell

2 eggs, slightly beaten

2 cups pumpkin puree or 1 can (16 oz) solid pack pumpkin

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

2 tbs melted butter or margarine

1 cup skim milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, add filling ingredients in order given. Mix well with whisk or electric mixer. Pour into pie shell. Bake 15 minutes. Then reduce oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking for an additional 45 minutes or until knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool slightly and serve warm or chilled with real whipped cream. Makes one 9-inch pie.

Pumpkin nut bars

1 cup cooked pumpkin puree, fresh or canned

1/2 cup butter or margarine (melted)

1 egg, slightly beaten

2 cups oats

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup shredded coconut, toasted

1/2 cup wheat germ

1 cup chopped salted peanuts, pecans, or almonds

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, beat egg whites slightly; add pumpkin and melted butter or margarine beat until smooth. In another bowl combine oats, brown sugar, coconut, wheat germ, and nuts. Fold oat mixture into pumpkin mixture to form stiff dough. Press dough into a lightly greased 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 inch jelly roll pan.

Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. While still warm, cut into 2x3 inch bars. Yield about 30 bars. Serve warm or cool completely.

Pumpkin pancakes

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 egg, slightly beaten

2 cups pumpkin puree

1/2 cup maple syrup

4 tbs buttermilk or milk

2 tbs unsalted butter, or margarine, melted

1/2 cup chopped pecans or hazelnuts, optional

Powdered sugar for dusting

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside. In another bowl, beat egg slightly. Add pumpkin or squash puree, molasses or syrup, milk or buttermilk and melted butter or margarine. Mix until smooth.

Blend in the dry ingredients all at once. Mix until batter is smooth. Allow batter to rest for 30 minutes or more. Stir nuts into batter, and add additional tablespoon of buttermilk or milk if batter is too thick.

To make pancakes, spoon a heaping tablespoon of batter onto a lightly greased preheated griddle or heavy skillet. With the back of the spoon, flatten batter to about 1/2-inch thickness. Cook slowly until bubbles appear on top and bottom is golden brown. Lift edge to check. Turn and cook until other side is golden brown. Dust with powdered sugar or pour maple syrup or pancake syrup.

Pumpkin soup

2 cups finely chopped onions

2 green onions, sliced thinly, tops included

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

1 green chili pepper, chopped

1/2 cup canola oil

3 cans chicken broth (14-1/2 oz cans) or 6 cups homemade chicken stock

2 cups pumpkin puree or 1 can (16 oz) solid pack pumpkin

1 bay leaf

1-1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 cup undiluted, evaporated skim milk

Salt and pepper to taste

Freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Chopped Parsley

In a 6-quart saucepan, sauté onions, green onions, celery and chili pepper in oil. Cook until onions begin to look translucent.

Add broth, pumpkin, bay leaf, and cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf. Add evaporated milk and cook over low heat 5 minutes. Do not boil. Garnish with grated Parmesan or Romano cheese and chopped parsley. Serve hot.

Makes 6-8 servings.