Pumpkins

It’s almost October, so we’ve gotta feature pumpkins. These cheerful fruits, a variety of winter squash that come in a rainbow of autumn colors from ecru to blue, are most familiar as carved, smiling–or scowling–orange jack-o-lanterns. But while some pumpkins are cultivated to decorate your Halloween stoop, others are prized for their sweet flesh, and are delicious when baked into pies, mixed into holiday breads and muffins, or even stuffed into ravioli. A cup of cooked pumpkin is packed with vitamin A–containing nearly 200 percent of the daily recommendation. Moreover, it’s a great source of fiber and has only about 50 calories. As for those seeds, wipe them clean and spread them on a baking pan with a sprinkle of sea salt for a crunchy snack. It’s a wonder we don’t eat pumpkin all year round. For some recipes, check out Health.com

Asian Pears