A few days ago, I was in a store... can't remember where... maybe the grocery store. I'm there a lot. I spied the cover of a "Hallmark Magazine". The cover's photo caught my attention because it featured a most uniquely carved pumpkin. I showed it to Dick and asked him if we could recreate the look using a Long Island Cheese Pumpkin that I had purchased at the Minneapolis Farmers' Market at the end of September. I love the squaty shape and unique color of this pumpkin variety. Tonight he got busy while I made a new recipe for vegetarian chili. He finished the carving at the same time that the chili was ready to eat. I scattered some autumn leaves around the pumpkin base, we turned off the lights, lit a candle that we placed in the cavity of the pumpkin, and enjoyed a bowl of the most tasty chili... just the two of us... eating by candlelight glowing from within a cozy little pumpkin home.
We saved the seeds from this unusual pumpkin to plant in our spring garden for next year's carving.