Nothing says fall like a giant jack-o-lantern on the porch, a pumpkin pie baking in the oven or searching through a patch for the perfect gourd. This year, go for an organic pumpkin from your local farm or market. The greatest thing about this orange wonder is its many purposes – nothing has to go to waste!

Remove the stem or top of the pumpkin, scoop out the pulp from the centre and separate the seeds (this is good fun). Now you can carve the shell into a jack-o-lantern or turn it into something quite sophisticated like a soup, dip or candy bowl (for your massive Halloween party). When finished, chuck it into the compost (not onto the neighbor’s driveway).

Now for the pulp. Pumpkin pulp obviously makes pumpkin pie but it is also a great alternative to squash and can be substituted in most recipes. Keep in mind; the smaller pumpkins have a better, more squash-like tasting meat than the larger ones.

Lastly, but my personal fave, the seeds.

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
Place washed seeds onto a sheet of paper towel to dry slightly. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, toss to make sure they’re well coated and spread the seeds on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with spices of your choice and unrefined sea salt. Bake at 350 until just golden, about 7-10 minutes, tossing a few times while baking so they brown evenly. And voila, the new popcorn!

Try some of these seasonings for an extra kick:

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Hot chili flakes and paprika
Ground cumin and coriander
Dried rosemary, thyme and marjoram
Dried basil and oregano, with a little lemon juice or rind
Garam masala spice mixture