FOOD OF THE GOURDS IN DOZENS OF VARIETIES, COLORS AND SIZES, PUMPKINS ARE RIPE AND READY FOR COOKS.

Byline: Natalie Haughton Food Editor

Pumpkins have a lot of potential beyond Halloween decorations and pie fillings.

With more than 40 varieties grown for cooking alone, you can transform the flesh into inspired sweet and savory dishes. The list could fill a cookbook: pumpkin butter, Southwest chicken pumpkin soup, Mexican pumpkin lasagna, wild mushroom pumpkin risotto, Cheddar pumpkin tart.

``The mild, slightly sweet flavor lends itself to numerous ingredients,'' says DeeDee Stovel, author of the recently released ``Pumpkin: A Super Food for All 12 Months of the Year'' (Storey Publishing; $12.95). It includes 140 enticing recipes.

``In other cultures, pumpkin is used more as a savory ingredient, while people here think of it as more of a dessert ingredient.''

Pumpkins are native to North America. They are a member of the gourd family and have been cultivated for about 9,000 years in different parts of the world.

Any pumpkin can be used for decoration, but some varieties (higher in sugar and lower in water) are better than others for cooking and eating. Carvers have less flavor and tend to be dry and stringy.

``Don't plan to eat or cook a carved jack-o'-lantern that has been used as a decoration,'' advises Barbara Forneris, co-owner of Forneris Farms in Mission Hills. Carved pumpkins open the flesh to airborne bacteria.

Those grown for cooking are usually labeled ``sugar,'' ``sweet'' or ``pie'' in the market.

For eating, Stovel opts for pumpkins 6 to 8 inches in diameter. She favors the pale-skinned Long Island Cheese pumpkin, the green-striped Japanese pumpkin known as Kabocha, a deep reddish-skinned Cinderella or French Red pumpkin, dusky peach-colored Sonia pumpkin, the white Lumina or a blue-skinned Australian Queensland pumpkin. All have similar flavors and varying shades of orange flesh.

Nine varieties of pumpkins - Jack-Be-Little, We-Be-Little, Baby Bear, Mystic Plus, Magic Lantern, Jack Pot, Gold Rush, Lumina and Big Max - are grown by Forneris Farms on acreage planted with a variety of fruits and vegetables in Mission Hills and Ventura County. They are available at the company's retail farm stand on Rinaldi Street in Mission Hills through November.

``Mystic Plus is the newer variety of cooking pumpkin and is very tasty,'' says Forneris, adding that it is orange-colored, about 6 to 8 inches in diameter and 4 to 6 pounds.

``We start harvesting the pumpkins the first of October,'' she says. ``Very few people actually buy pumpkins to cook with - and that goes for all the varieties sold at our stand.''

Ninety-nine percent of the crop in this country is snatched up for decorations and jack-o'-lanterns, adds Stovel.

Natalie Haughton, [phone]

natalie.haughton(at)dailynews.com

SWEET PUMPKIN DIP

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin

2 cups sifted powdered sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

Beat cream cheese and pumpkin in large mixer bowl until smooth. Add powdered sugar, cinnamon and ginger; mix thoroughly. Cover; refrigerate 1 hour. Serve with sliced fruit, bite-size cinnamon graham crackers, gingersnap cookies, vanilla or lemon wafers, toasted mini-bagels, toast slices, muffins and/or English muffins. Makes 15 servings.

NOTE: For a lower-fat version of this recipe, use light cream cheese (Neufchatel). This dip also may be served as a spread or used to make dessert sandwiches. Spread on thin slices of cinnamon raisin bread or vanilla or chocolate pound cake and cut sandwiches into small neat triangles, or use a favorite cookie cutter.

PUMPKIN TOFFEE CHEESECAKE

CRUST:

1 3/4 cups (about 14 to 16) shortbread cookies, crushed

1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted

CHEESECAKE:

3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar

1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin

2/3 cup (a 5-ounce can) evaporated milk OR 2/3 cup half-and-half

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons cornstarch 

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup (about 25 to 30) crushed toffee candies

1 (8-ounce) container sour cream, at room temperature

2 tablespoons granulated sugar 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Caramel ice cream topping (optional)

For Crust, combine cookie crumbs and butter in a small bowl. Press onto bottom and 1-inch up side of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven 6 to 8 minutes (do not allow to brown). Cool on wire rack 10 minutes.

For Cheesecake, beat cream cheese and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, cornstarch and cinnamon; beat well. Pour into crust.

Bake at 350 degrees 60 to 65 minutes or until edge is set but center still moves slightly. Remove from oven; top with toffee candy pieces.

Combine sour cream, granulated sugar and vanilla in small bowl; mix well. Spread over top of warm cheesecake. Bake at 350 degrees 8 minutes. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Refrigerate several hours or overnight. Remove side of springform pan. Drizzle with caramel topping before serving. Makes 16 servings.

PUMPKIN BUTTER

This spicy spread is a delightful change from super-sweet jam for your morning toast. Pack it in a pretty jar and bring it along as a host gift.

2 cups canned unsweetened pumpkin

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest 

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice 

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, 20 to 30 minutes, stirring often, until thickened and darkened.

Cool and store in a glass jar in refrigerator for several weeks. Makes 3/4 cup.

From ``Pumpkin: A Super Food for All 12 Months of the Year,'' by DeeDee Stovel.

PUMPKIN-CIDER STEW

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons fennel seeds, crushed

2 teaspoons kosher salt OR 1 1/2 teaspoons regular salt

1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper 

2 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 medium onions, halved, sliced and broken into thin slivers

2 tablespoons olive oil 

1 (14-ounce) can beef broth 

1 1/2 cups apple cider 

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

6 OR 7 miniature white AND/OR orange pumpkins OR 1/2 of a 5-pound pie pumpkin, OR 2 pounds potatoes

2 medium parsnips OR carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces OR 8 ounces baby carrots with tops, scrubbed and trimmed

2 Jonathan OR Gala apples, cored and cut into wedges

Fennel seeds, optional

In a self-sealing plastic bag combine flour, 2 teaspoons crushed fennel seeds, salt and pepper. Add beef chunks. Close bag; shake to coat. In a Dutch oven, brown 1/2 of beef and 1/2 of onions at a time in 1 tablespoon of hot oil. Return all meat and onion to Dutch oven. Add broth, cider and vinegar. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 1 1/4 hours.

Meanwhile, if using miniature pumpkins, cut a 1/2-inch slice from the bottom of each; discard slice. Scoop out seeds and fibrous strings. (Remove stems and carefully peel, if desired.) If using pie pumpkin, peel, seed, remove strings, and cut into large chunks. If using potatoes, peel and cut into wedges.

Add pumpkin pieces or potatoes, and parsnips or carrots to beef mixture. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 25 minutes more. Add apples; cover and simmer 5 to 10 minutes more or until vegetables and fruit are tender. Ladle into bowls or pumpkin bowls (see note) to serve. Sprinkle with additional fennel seeds. Makes 8 servings.

NOTE - TO MAKE PUMPKIN BOWLS: For each pumpkin bowl, cut a 1-inch slice from the stem end of a 1 1/2- to 2-pound pumpkin; set aside stem. Scoop out seeds and fibrous strings. Ladle soup into bowl; replace stem. Or, if desired, place hollowed pumpkin with top in a shallow baking pan. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 1 to 1 1/4 hours or until tender. Season inside of pumpkin with salt. Serve as above.

From the October issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine.

PUMPKIN ORANGE POPPY SEED CAKE

1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix

1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin

3 large eggs

2/3 cup orange juice

2 to 4 tablespoons poppy seeds

Glaze

Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan.

Combine cake mix, pumpkin, eggs and orange juice in large mixer bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until moistened. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Stir in poppy seeds until blended. Pour into prepared Bundt pan, spreading evenly.

Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven 35 to 40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes; remove cake to wire rack to cool completely. Drizzle with Glaze. Makes 12 to 18 servings.

GLAZE: In a bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar and 2 to 3 tablespoons orange juice; stir until smooth.

PREPARATION TIPS

--While pumpkin can be cooked by several different methods (see chart), the quickest and easiest is microwaving.

--If you find it difficult to cut up a pumpkin before cooking, try using a cleaver or simply stick a knife through it in several places (to avoid having it explode), then microwave 3 to 4 minutes or longer to soften up the skin slightly for ease in cutting.

--Since pumpkin skin is often very hard, it's easiest to peel and remove after cooking.

--Generally, figure 1 pound fresh pumpkin will yield 2 cups peeled, cooked pumpkin; 1 cup puree; 2 cups cubes; or 3 to 4 cups grated (raw).

--When it comes to buying pumpkins, select firm pumpkins with good, bright color; stems attached; thick, hard skin; heavy in relation to size; and free of bruises, wrinkles, shriveling or soft spots. Uncut pumpkins will keep 30 to 60 days in a cool, dry place.

--Cooked pumpkin chunks, homemade puree or canned pumpkin can be frozen, properly wrapped, up to three months.

--Nutritionally, pumpkins are high in fiber and low in calories and provide protein, complex carbohydrates, vitamin C, potassium and large amounts of vitamin A and beta carotene. A cup of cooked mashed pumpkin contains about 50 calories.

- N.H.

Pumpkin varieties

Pumpkins come in a range of sizes, colors and shapes - and some are better for cooking and eating than others. Eating pumpkins - also known as sugar, sweet or pie pumpkins - are higher in natural sugar and water than carvers (decorative pumpkins) which have less flavor and tend to be dry and stringy.

Jack Be Little - Decorative mini; about 2 to 3 inches in diameter.

Baby Bear - Decorative/eating; about 3 to 4 inches in diameter. Can be stuffed and baked with meat/rice mixtures, soup, chiles, etc.

Gold Rush - Decorative (carver); 12 to 15 inches in diameter; flesh and stem heavy.

Mystic Plus -Decorative/eating; 6 to 8 inches in diameter and 4 to 6 pounds; a newer variety.

Lumina - Decorative/eating; 8 to 10 inches in diameter and about 7 pounds; medium white skin and yellow orange flesh.

Magic Lantern - Decorative/eating; 12 to 14 inches in diameter with ribbing.

Jack Pot - Decorative (carver); 11 to 15 inches in diameter; glossy orange.

Big Max - Decorative (carver); 24 to 30 inches in diameter; 50 to 100 pounds.

Roasting pumpkin seeds

To roast raw pumpkin seeds (which are rich in vitamin E, iron, magnesium and zinc), remove them from the pumpkin (they are covered with a tough white shell), removing any strings and pulp. Blot dry. Place in a bowl, add a few drops of olive oil and toss. Spread out on a baking sheet and sprinkle with spices of your choice and a little salt. Roast at 350 degrees about 35 to 45 minutes or until golden and crisp, tossing occasionally. Do not let them get dark or they will turn bitter. Cool and store in an airtight container. Eat as snacks or toss into salads or soups.

CAPTION(S):

15 photos, 4 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) Pumpkins

It's what's inside that counts...

(2 -- color) Jack-Be-Little

(3 -- color) Baby Bear

(4 -- color) Mystic Plus

(5 -- color) Gold Rush

(6 -- color) Lumina

(7 -- color) Magic Lantern

(8 -- color) Jack Pot

(9 -- color) Big Max

Photographed at Forneris Farms, Mission Hills, by Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer

(10 -- color) Above, pumpkin-cider stew.

Better Homes and Garden, October Issue

(11 -- color) no caption (pumpkin seeds)

(12) SWEET PUMPKIN DIP

(13) PUMPKIN TOFFEE CHEESECAKE

(14) PUMPKIN-CIDER STEW

(15) PUMPKIN ORANGE POPPY SEED CAKE

Photos.com

Box:

(1) PUMPKIN PRIMER

From ``Pumpkin: A Super Food for All 12 Months of the Year,'' Storey Publishing

(2) PREPARATION TIPS (see text)

(3) Pumpkin varieties (see text)

(4) Roasting the seeds (see text)