grill it.
with honey.
and aji pepper sauce).

(im starting to get a rush of ideas)

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of wait, but you need something slightly bitter to match the sweetness of the pumpkin, hmm, oh heck just put gorgonzola, gorgonzola is good on anything.

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You've already got the right idea, Melissa. Treat it just like any other winter squash, albeit a rich-tasting, sort-of-sweet one. I love roasting and mashing it -- adding on their own or in combination butter, maple syrup, vanilla-flavored Stevia sweetner, bourbon, nuts like pecans, walnuts or macademias, salt and pepper or anything else you like. Makes a great soup with chicken (or other) broth. Experiment! You'll love almost anything you do with it.

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When I was a kid in Mexico, my mom used to making candied pumpkin (well, its big everywhere, you can get it in the Sunday markets).

The pumpkin is just cleaned (and peeled if you want) and then cooked them with piloncillo (something like brown sugar, I have some if you'd like to try) and lots of cinnamon sticks.

It's a really good treat :-)

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Pumpkin soup is tasty. Some think it's more of a cool-weather delight, but I love it whenever I can get it. Simmer some peeled chunks with vegetable stock, some cinnamon and nutmeg, garlic and maybe a moderately-spiced chili or two until the pumpkin is tender, then puree in batches in a food processor or blender. You can garnish it with a swirl of heavy cream or dollop of sour cream and some toasted pumpkin seeds.

You could also make pumpkin bread, muffins, or even a pumpkin spice cake with cream cheese frosting.

I love pumpkins and always anticipate the season.

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I discovered completely by accident that you can poke a couple of holes in the pumpkin and then microwave it until it's soft (not to the point of collapsing) then let it cool and cut it, clean out the seeds (which I still happily roast but not as long as I usually do) and mash the yummy meat, after which I can use it for any number of things, including soup, pie, and (my favorite) souffle.

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Cut in open, hollow it out.
Stuff it full of risotto milanese.
Bake it till it's soft in a water bath.
Cut into wedges and serve.

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Cut your pumpkin in half and clean out the seeds.
Put cut side down on a cookie sheet with a rim and bake in a 350 degree oven until the skin turns brown and the pumpkin starts to collapse. The juices may run out on the sheet and char, but that's okay. When it slumps, it means the flesh is soft and a lot of the water has evaporated. Take the cookie sheet out of the oven and set on top of the stove to cool a bit.
When the pumpkin is cool enough to handle, the skin will peel easily off the flesh. Throw chunks into the food processor to puree. Use in recipes that call for canned pumpkin -- the flavor of the fresh is much better (no tin-can taste). You can store it covered in the refridgerator for about a week or freeze it for up to a year. Yum!

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Pumpkin Choka! An Caribbean East indian dish. Saute small chunks with diced onions until the pumpkin breaks up. Fry cumin seeds and garlic in oil until very fragrant and popping then add oil and spices directly to pumpkin (BE CAREFUL). Stir to combine salt and pepper to taste. Excellent with flatbread and a chicken curry.

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Martha Stewart's website has a delicious recipe for Spicy Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sauce. I've made it several times and love the pumpkin sauce.

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Pumpin is delicious with everything, and I seem to cook it on a weekly basis once the weather cools off. A few ideas:

1) Creamy soup with garlic, onion, chicken stock, and a tablespoon of tomato paste for depth. Stir in heavy cream and sprinkle with fresh parsley and real parmesan or peccorino.
2)Mash roasted pumpkin with ricotta and seasonings, use as a stuffing for fresh ravioli. Serve with sage butter sauce.
3) Thai yellow coconut curry with pumpkin, red bell pepper, spring onion, and jumbo shrimp.
4)Risotto

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Its not just about pies. This can be a savory or sweet serving. Treat it like you would squash!

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101 Cookbooks posted a recipe for Thai-Spiced Pumpkin Soup a while back:

http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/001525.html

We made it and it was FANTASTIC. I highly highly recommend this. Although go easy on the curry paste. You can also make it with butternut or acorn squash.

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My mom told me to cut it up before microwaving instead of poking holes in it (which could be bad if you do it wrong). Microwaving is a great easy way to turn the cute pumpkin into useful puree! Cut it up into large chuks with the skin still on, doing whatever you want with the seeds (I always toast them!). Put in microwave cut side down on a glass dish, cook 5-10 minutes depending on the power of your oven. Let cool, then scrape the soft flesh off the skin. Use or freeze in one- or two-cup portions to use later.

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I was going to be boring and vote for pumpkin pie - I don't care if it's simple, because it's always good and even more so with fresh pumpkin...but then I saw Kevin's post about pumpkin choka and I changed my mind.

That sounds like the best side dish ever...in fact, I may go buy a pumpkin just to make it!

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I picked up this cookbook last fall. Unfortunately, I haven't found any cooking pumpkins around here. Maybe not yet.

http://www.amazon.com/Pumpkin-Super-Food-Months-Year/dp/1580175945

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