While most people are used to using canned pumpkin when baking up a fall feast, even the most casual of amateur chefs can put together a good locally grown pumpkin dish with a little effort.

When cooking with pumpkins, you want to use the smaller gourds. Save the larger plants for your front porch.

Start by opening the top like a jack-o’-lantern and cut the pumpkin down the middle, removing the ropey guts and seeds. The walls of the pumpkin can be cut into squares and boiled until soft. Finally, cut away the rough skin and mash the flesh.

Pumpkin pie

1 3/4 cups cooked pumpkin

1/2 tsp salt

2 large eggs

2/3 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp white sugar

1 1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp of cloves

The last four ingredients can be substituted for pumpkin pie spice to taste.

Prepare and bake a 9-inch pie crust and preheat oven to 425A?o F. Mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl and pour into pie shell, cooking about 45 minutes. Pie will be done when a knife inserted near the side comes out clean. It’s OK if the middle is still a little soft, as carryover baking will continue to cook it before the pie cools.

Pumpkin cookies

1 1/4 cup flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup shortening

1/2 cup white sugar

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup cooked pumpkin

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp lemon extract

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350A?o F. Cream the shortening and sugar and stir in sifted flour and baking powder. Stir in all other ingredients and drop by spoonful onto an aluminum foil-wrapped cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.

Pumpkin seeds

Often thrown out, prepared pumpkin seeds can be eaten by themselves or sprinkled onto soups.

First, separate the seeds from the fibers and place them in a saucepan of salted water. Bring to a boil and cover, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours. Dry the seeds. Toss them in a container with vegetable oil and salt. For each 1/2 cup of seeds, use 1/2 teaspoon of oil and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Spread onto a baking sheet and cook for one hour at 250A?o F.