Due to their triffid-like tendency to spring up from nowhere and take over the veggie patch, the pumpkin is often unjustly regarded as a second-class vegetable. In fact, it’s a fruit, and should be given due respect for its versatility, taste, and – at less than $4 a kilo (or even less if you throw a few seeds in your compost bin and wait) – its excellent value for money.
Part of the Cucurbitaceae or squash family, pumpkins come in different shapes and sizes; from the hefty Queensland blue with its ribbed blue-grey skin, to the smaller Kent or Jap pumpkin, to the ever-popular cylindrically shaped butternut with its sweet orange flesh.
