from that for a nightwatchman). A hollowed-out pumpkin carved with a suitably expressive face, and lighted by a candle from within, it is usually placed on porches, pillars, and in window sills to light the way for witches and goblins, and trick or treaters.

Pumpkin has been immortalised in the Peanuts comic strip as The Great Pumpkin, and its rich orange colour is repeated in all forms of Hallowe'en paraphernalia.

But pumpkin is not just a decorative or whimsical vegetable.

In the US, the early settlers grew so many pumpkins that they devised a way of boiling them down to make beer. Then, as now, pumpkin also makes fine eating, and lends itself to a variety of dishes, as the following recipes illustrate: *** BRANDIED PUMPKIN SOUP 1 small pumpkin (2-3 lbs.) OR 21 cups canned 1 cup butter 1 cup onion, chopped salt and white pepper 31 cups chicken broth 1 cup half-and-half 2 tbsp. brandy 1 tsp. each ginger & nutmeg IF using fresh pumpkin, pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F., wash pumpkin, cut and remove seeds and fibres. Steam until flesh is tender. Scrape from shell and puree. Measure 21 cups, set aside. Melt butter in deep saucepan. Add chopped onion and cook, stirring until onion is transparent. Blend in spices and chicken broth. Bring to boil. Blend in pumpkin and half-and-half. Reduce heat and cook until soup is thoroughly heated. Blend in brandy, adjust seasonings.

Serve hot or chilled, with a dollop of sour cream. Yield: 2 quarts.

*** EMILY PUGH'S PUMPKIN FRITTERS 1 lb. flour 1 lb. sugar 1 egg 1 pint milk 1 lb. cooked pumpkin 1 tsp. cinnamon BEAT ingredients together until stiff, drop in a very hot pan, and cook until brown.

*** PUMPKIN SEED CANDY DRY pumpkin seeds in the oven, cool and dip in black molasses.

*** PUMPKIN PIE 3 eggs 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup brown sugar 2 cups canned pureed pumpkin 1 tsp. ground ginger 11 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. ground cloves 1 tsp. ground allspice 1 tsp. ground cardamom pinch of salt 3 cup heavy cream 3 cup half-and-half 9-inch, single pie crust Walnut halves to garnish PRE-HEAT oven to 450 degrees F.

To make filling: Beat eggs and sugars together until light. Add pumpkin puree, spices and salt. Mix thoroughly. Stir in cream and half-and-half. Pour in filling and bake for 8 minutes at 450 degrees F, then reduce heat to 325 degrees F. and continue baking another 40 to 45 minutes, or until filing is set (when knife, inserted in the centre, comes out clean).

To serve: Remove from oven and arrange walnut halves around the edge and in the centre of the pie, pressing them lightly into the warm filling. Cool completely before slicing. Yield: 6 portions.

*** GINGER PUMPKIN MOUSSE 4 eggs 7 tbsp. granulated sugar 1 tbsp. unflavoured gelatin 11 cups fresh or canned pumpkin puree 3 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. freshly grated ginger 1 tsp. grated nutmeg 1 cup heavy cream Finely chopped crystalised ginger CREAM eggs and sugar until mixture is light and thick. Add gelatin and beat until well blended. Fold in pumpkin puree and spices. Chill mixture until it starts setting. Whip cream until soft peaks form, then fold into pumpkin mixture. Pour into large serving bowl or individual dishes and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Just before serving, sprinkle top with crystallised ginger.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Pumpkin recipes for that special time of the year! PUMPKIN MINTS 1 cup milk 4 tsp. butter 31 cups confectioners' sugar 2-3 drops oil of peppermint Red, green and yellow food colouring HEAT milk and butter, stir until butter melts. Add confectioners' sugar. Mix thoroughly and add oil of peppermint. Knead with hands until fondant is smooth. Take out about one sixth and colour it green. Knead to mix colour in evenly. Cover with damp cheese cloth to prevent drying. Add enough yellow and red colouring to the rest of the fondant to make it a nice orange, pumpkin colour. Cover with damp cheesecloth. Work with small amounts of the orange-coloured fondant at a time and roll into small balls in the palms of your hands. Break a toothpick in two and make grooves in the fondant like those in a pumpkin, using the broken end of the toothpick. Roll a bit of the green fondant in thin cylinders and cut in short stemlike pieces. Press on top of the pumpkins. Yield: 40 mints.

*** PUMPKIN JAM TO each pound of pumpkin, peeled and cut into small cubes, add the following: 1 lb. sugar, rind and juice of 1 lemon, 1 oz. whole ginger, crushed and tied in a piece of muslin or cheesecloth). Let stand for 24 hours, then boil gently until syrup thickens and pumpkin is clear. Warm jars gently in oven. Pour jam into warmed jars, cover and seal.

*** PUMPKIN-NUT PUDDING 21 cups light brown sugar 3 tbsp. butter 1 cup water 4 cups mashed, cooked pumpkin or canned 1 tsp. salt 2 tsp. cloves 31 tsp. cinnamon 2 tsp. ginger 1 tsp. nutmeg 1 tbsp. grated lemon rind 6 eggs 3 cups evaporated milk 3 -1 cup broken nut meats For garnish: nut meat halves, whipped cream PUT 3 cup of the sugar and the butter in a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture has come to a boil. Let it boil 1 minute, still stirring. Add water and boil 4 minutes. Place a 31 -quart glass baking dish in a pan of hot water and pour in the sugar mixture. Tilt the dish immediately in all directions to coat the bottom and sides with caramel.

Butter any uncovered spots. Set dish aside.

Mix thoroughly the pumpkin, remaining 13 cups sugar, salt, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, grated nutmeg and lemon rind. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs for 2 minutes, then add to the pudding. Add evaporated milk and nuts, and stir until well mixed. Pour the mixture into the caramelised baking dish. Place the baking dish in a pan of hot water and bake in moderately slow oven ( 325 degrees F.), for 2 hours until centre is firm. When cool, chill overnight in refrigerator. Unmold the pudding by setting the dish in warm water and loosening with a spatula. Invert pudding onto a platter, decorate the top with nut meat halves and serve with a border of whipped cream. Yield: 12-16 servings.

*** PUMPKIN LOAF 11 cups flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. salt 1 cup sugar 1 cup cooking oil 2 eggs 1 cup cooked, mashed pumpkin 1 cup raisins SIFT together dry ingredients. Combine sugar and oil in large mixing bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add dry ingredients, one quarter at a time, beating until smooth. Add pumpkin and raisins, blending well. Bake in greased loaf pan at 350 degrees F. for one hour.

*** CHOCOLATE CHIP PUMPKIN LOAF 1 cup margarine or shortening 1 cup white sugar 2 eggs 3 cup pumpkin, canned or cooked 11 cups flour 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. cloves 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. ginger 1 tsp. nutmeg Pinch salt 3 cup chocolate chips CREAM together fat and white sugar. Add eggs and pumpkin. Mix together flour, soda, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt and add to pumpkin mixture.

Fold in chocolate chips. Put into greased, floured loaf pan and bake one hour at 350 degrees F.