Post-Irene Pumpkin Substitutes for October

By Michael Y. Park, Epicurious.com

Hurricane Irene packed a wallop, and among those hurt was the pumpkin industry. And just before Halloween.

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Now, with the pint-sized ghosts and goblins of Halloween already readying their pitchforks and candy sacks, consumers in some parts of the country are finding that pumpkin prices are skyrocketing. (Especially if you insist on local and not imported pumpkins.)

Goodbye, Jack o' Lanterns up the wazoo and up and down the driveway and at each corner of the porch. Goodbye, inexpensive from-scratch pumpkin pies, pumpkin scones, pumpkin flan (pictured), pumpkin-seed spaetzle, pumpkin-seed brittle, and so on and so on.

Of course, you can always try acorn squash or butternut squash, or even sweet potato. And, when someone at a recent party complained she might not be able to throw a pumpkin-carving party this year, I only half-jokingly suggested switching in watermelons, turnips or beets. Which I dare any of you to try and report back about. Honestly, I want to see that.

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So how are you handling the pumpkin shortage? Are you paying more, carving less, or subbing in something else?

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