NEXT weekend will see a variety of spooky goings on, with various Halloween and early Bonfire Night events being held across the county.

One vegetable that you will see plenty of on your farmers’ market stalls both this weekend and next will be pumpkins – perfect for carving amusing faces and hollowing out for Jack O’Lanterns. But, don’t forget, they are delicious to eat, too.

Pumpkin is delectable either boiled or baked, but don’t overlook the other possibilities with this reliable and much under-used vegetable.

Discover how sweet it is when eaten as wedges that have been snuggled beside a roast leg of lamb or try steamed pieces stirred into risotto or al dente pasta. Pumpkin can be roasted with spices and a drizzle of olive oil or a sprinkling of brown sugar with a dusting of herbs.

Whole pumpkins will keep for many months in a cool, dark place, so there’s no rush for you to try out the following recipe.

Why not pick up two at your next farmers’ market – one for cutting and one for eating? Cut pumpkins, however, should be cooked within a few days as they can rapidly go mouldy.

Spicy roast pumpkin with pine nuts and creme fraiche

800g pumpkin, unpeeled, seeded and cut into 8 wedges
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
120ml (4 fl oz) cup creme fraiche
3 tbsp toasted pine nuts
1 small red chilli, very finely chopped

Preheat oven to 200C. Combine pumpkin, olive oil and spices in a bowl with salt and pepper and toss gently to coat. Place pumpkin on an oven tray and roast for 35- 40 mins or until cooked. Transfer to a serving platter and spoon dollops of creme fraiche over pumpkin. Scatter with pine nuts and chilli. Serves four.

Today’s market is at St Peter’s Garden Centre from 9.30am until 2pm. Next weekend’s market is an extra one, at Little Heath Garden Centre, Bromsgrove, where you will be able to try your hand at pumpkin carving. For more information, visit wfmg.co.uk.