The Versatile Pumpkin

So many pumpkins, so little time.

Hey, maybe The Neighbor should try growing pumpkins next year. His luck gardening has been nothing if not questionable, and obviously, punkins are easy to grow. Just take a look around.

The folks at AJ Produce in Victoria have had undoubtedly the strangest collection of pumpkins over the years, but you have to make your decision fast ‘cause on the weekend of their fall festival, the supply is almost depleted – squash, gourds and all.

This year however, the mound of pumpkins and gourds for sale in front of the Corner Market in Charlotte Court House has rivaled AJ’s weirdest offerings. White, dark green, gray, pink, traditional orange, warts, bumps, stripes, round, tall, short, pudgy, with stems and without – they’re all there. The vendor has even created some short stacks, held together with stakes, for the decorating challenged. Pick up a stack or two, stand them on either side of the front door and – voila! – you’re decked out for the season.

When it comes right down to it though, I can’t think of another vegetable that is more versatile than pumpkins. And talk about repurposing! Pumpkins are the very definition of the word ‘cause you’ve already shelled out the cash. Take a deep breath, here goes:

Lattes, bread, butter, pies, cookies, jack-o-lanterns, puree, soup, biscuits, carved out to hold votive candles, table decorations, pancakes, carved out to serve as a planter, feed the birds and deer raw seeds, roast the seeds and eat ‘em yourself, candy, cocktails (with vodka, ice and a shake of cinnamon), skin care (they’re full of vitamins A, C, E and zinc), feed it to the dog, pumpkin cheese cake, carved out to use as a soup bowl, and of course, the annual punkin chunkin’.

Okay, that’s enough. Charlie Brown had it right: It’s the Great Pumpkin.

All hail the mighty pumpkin!