Photo by Leslie Potter
Our editorial staff demonstrated superb pumpkin-carving skills last Halloween. |
I think we should start a campaign for pumpkins as our national fruit. The U.S. doesn’t have a national fruit, after all! I bet there would be stiff competition from the apple folks—you know the phrase, “American as apple pie.” These fall fruits can duke it out all they want (I love apples, too), but in my mind, there’s no fruit that brings people together quite like pumpkins.
Most people appreciate the food we can make with pumpkins—most notably pumpkin pie, but my favorite is associate editor Stephanie Staton’s pumpkin cupcakes with cream-cheese filling. For farmers and gardeners, there’s the anticipation of planting pumpkins in the springtime and watching with excitement as they vine and grow, forming green, then orange (or red, white or blue) squash. Families gather to visit the pumpkin patch (maybe even the pumpkin patch that you’ve set up on your farm) to gather their fall decorations and baking supplies. And of course, people from all walks of life come together for pumpkin carving, a favorite activity for all ages.
The jack-o’-lanterns pictured above were created by Hobby Farms, HobbyFarms.com, Horse Illustrated, HorseChannel.com and Young Rider editors from our office at my house last fall. The seven of us gathered in my kitchen, hacking, cutting and carving away at our locally grown squash originals. Some of us wielded pumpkin-carving instruments like seasoned doctors performing surgery. Some of us (me, mostly) demonstrated a frightening lack of dexterity but determination nonetheless. My pumpkin (first from right) turned out pretty well, thanks to an easy pattern I’d tacked onto its face to guide me. (Get pumpkin stencils for your next jack-o'-lantern.) We had a fun but messy night of snack foods and pumpkin guts, and at the end of it, I was more thankful than ever for pumpkins’ ability to bring people together.
Whatever your reason is for planting pumpkins—making money, pleasing family or a combination—you’ll want to look beyond the typical round orange squash for your next crop. “Designer Pumpkins” details 15 varieties of unusual pumpkins to try. You can cook them, carve them and display them, just like a jack-o’-lantern type, but these varieties are sure to get a second (and third) look.
If you don’t grow your own pumpkins, the only place to buy them, in my opinion, is from a local grower. Farmers’ markets, roadside stands and farm stores are must-visit destinations in the fall to take advantage of all of the season’s bounty—pumpkins, in particular.
Wherever you find your seasonal squash this year, help me spread the word: Pumpkins as our national fruit!