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Some people have a soft spot for stray kittens. My downfall is stray pumpkins. In addition to those my kids collect throughout the fall, by Thanksgiving we usually end up with several adopted pumpkins that I rescue from neighbors who would otherwise throw them away. It just breaks my heart to think of these beautiful rutted globes rotting away, after all the hard work of those little seeds that pushed those monstrous vines out of the ground all summer and nurtured the little sprouts into 5 or 10 pounds of edible goodness.

Each year I find something else to do with pumpkins besides make pies, which I only learned to do about five years ago anyway. My family always had sweet potato pies in the fall and winter, never pumpkin. I still prefer a sweet potato pie to a pumpkin pie, but my kids like the pies as a change. I think there are far more interesting things to do with the pumpkins, though, so here are some general tips for preparing pumpkin, along with two recipes that show both the savory and sweet side of this underused gourd.

General Usage: A lot of folks don't realize that you can subsititute pumpkin in just about any recipe that calls for butternut or acorn squash. Pumpkin might be a little less smooth than butternut in a soup, or less sweet than acorn when roasted, but that will give the dish its own character.

Preparing Pumpkin: To use fresh pumpkin in pies, cookies, puddings and other recipes where you have used canned pumpkin, carve the pumpkin in half and use a large metal spoon to scrape out the seeds and fibers, just as you would before carving a jack o'lantern. Carefully, using a heavy sharp knife, cut the pumpkin shell into quarters, and each quarter in half. If it's a very large pumpkin, you may want to cut it one more time to make pieces that you can easily keep a grip on while peeling them. Using either a vegetable peeler or a paring knife, position each chunk of pumpkin with a flat side down on a cutting board, and peel the outer rind from the top of the piece down to the board. Toss all your chunks into a large enough pot to cover them with water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the chunks are pierced easily with a fork. Drain well, then mash or puree as required for your recipe.

Freezing Pumpkin: I have kept pumpkin, prepared as above and pureed, in the freezer for as long as 10 months, before thawing it and using it to bake pie.

One year when I was lamenting my glut of pumpkins to caterer Denise Thorne, of Greenbelt-based Instyle Caterers, she told me how pumpkins were a favorite ingredient in fall stews in her native Guyana, and throughout the Caribbean. This recipe is not only delicious, it's pretty quick and easy, too.

1 pound shell-on raw shrimp

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, diced

2 ribs celery, chopped

1/2 green pepper, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons curry powder

1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped

1 14-oz. can coconut milk

4 cups peeled and cubed raw pumpkin

1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

salt and pepper to taste

Peel the shrimp and place the shells in a small saucepan or microwaveable bowl. Add two cups water, heat and simmer for five minutes. Set this broth aside.

Heat the olive oil in a stew pot over medium heat. Add onion and celery and saute for five minutes. Add green pepper, garlic and curry powder, and saute for three minutes. Add tomato and saute for another two minutes. Pour in 1 1/2 cups of the shrimp broth and all the remaining ingredients, except the shrimp. Bring to a simmer and cook 10 minutes, or until pumpkin feels tender, but still offers a little resistance to a fork. Add the peeled shrimp and continue simmering until the shrimp turns pink, 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and serve over rice. Garnish with fresh cilantro if desired.

This recipe, adapted from the 1976 edition of Putting Food By, one of the most-often referenced guides to preserving foods, worked beautifully for me and my pumpkins this year. The pumpkin provides some of the color and the substance, but the citrus provides most of the flavor. Marmalade fans will love this. If you've never made jam, you might be surprised by the amount of sugar used, but don't skimp or your product won't gel properly. Also, note that it takes about two days to complete.

1 medium 9-10 pound pumpkin

7 pounds sugar

6 lemons

2 oranges

Clean out and peel the pumpkin as described above. Cut into small cubes and place in a large stockpot, tossing with four cups of sugar. Let stand overnight. The sugar will dissolve as the pumpkin cubes release their water. The next day, wash the citrus fruits thoroughly (use organic if you can), cut them open and pick out the seeds. Process the entire fruit, skin and all, in a food processor or grinder until it is chopped into very small pieces, but not pureed. Add the citrus fruit to the pumpkin, add the rest of the sugar, and place the pot over low heat. Stir over low heat until it boils. Reduce the heat to medium and keep the pot at a fast simmer for 3-4 hours, stirring often to prevent sticking or scorching. Boil until the fruit is clear and the syrup is thick. It might not set up as firm as a jam with added pectin, but it will be as delicious. Test for doneness by putting a spoonful of syrup on a small saucer and putting it in the freezer for two minutes. When you take it out, if it is soft-set and not runny, your marmalade should be done.

This recipe makes about 10 pints of marmalade. Sterilize your jars by running them through the dishwasher and leaving them in the heat dryer until you are ready to use them. Process your pint jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes, following the directions that come with your jars. Or, jar the marmalade, let cool overnight, and share with friends and family to use immediately, keeping it in the refrigerator for up to a month.