How do you cook with pumpkin?

All the recipes I have are for canned pumpkin...I'm trying to use the real pumpkins I have growing in my yard but I don't know what to do with them other than carve silly faces into them but it's a bit early in the year for that. FYI, pumpkins are really easy to grow. My crop this year came from the seeds I threw out in the yard last October after my nephew came over and we carved jack o lanterns. Now I have pumpkins out the wazoo and I never even watered them once.

Anyway, if anyone has any tips on cooking with REAL pumpkin, please let me know. I have two in my kitchen that I fear will not last much longer.

I've only cooked pie but my mother has done a bunch more. For the pie I just put the filling in the food processor and then reduced it on low heat and added some raw sugar as it reduced...it made for some mean pie. The seeds can just be roasted on a pan with a little oil or toasted in the oven...you don't even need to crack the shell..eat it whole. My mother would actually skin the rhine and stem the fleshy part...its quite good even without anything added to it. You can also eat pumpkin flowers.

Well I got impatient and just made soup out of it. I prepared it the same way I would an acorn squash. I added potato and sweet corn, nutmeg and brown sugar. It's decent.

Thanks for the tips. I'm gonna try those next. I have pumpkins growing like crazy in my yard at the moment and probably will through November so I imagine I will be eating a lot of pumpkin.

Try the flowers...I love them. You can also cook with the leaves. My mom makes this succotash type Filipino dish that tastes great with it.

I haven't tried this recipe.

It came from the RAVE diet and Lifestyle book

Stew - Spicy Pumpkin

1 15 oz can red kidney or pinto beans

1 16 oz can corn kernels, drained

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

3-4 cups of small 1/2 inch chunk raw pumpkin or butternut squash

1 cup vegetable stock

1 cup tomato sauce

1/2 cup salsa

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp hot red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp cumin

3-4 drops of Tabasco

Simmer pumpkin or squash in vegetable stock until tender.

Add remaining ingredients and simmer uncovered over low heat for 30 minutes.

Season to taste.