Roasted pumpkin puree

Cut carefully around the stem with a very sharp knife and slice it off.

Slice each pumpkin into two equal halves down the centre.

Scoop out the seeds and stringy part with a spoon; discard, or rinse, dry and roast the seeds for snacking.

Place the halves cut side down on a parchment-lined baking tray.

Variation: for a sweet recipe, drizzle a little melted butter on the flesh and sprinkle granulated or brown sugar and a little cinnamon; or leave plain for pumpkin pie.

Bake in a preheated 375F oven 45 to 50 minutes, until a knife or fork goes through easily and the flesh is very soft.

Cool until easy to handle, flip, and peel off the skin.

Scoop out the flesh and mash it in a food processor or with a fork.

Variation: for soups, skip mashing and cut the roasted pumpkin into slices.

Freeze in freezer safe containers up to six months, or refrigerate in an airtight container 4 to 5 days.