Acorn The runt of the litter, these ribbed little guys usually check in at one to three pounds, which makes them perfect for halving and oven-roasting.

Butternut It’s shaped like a vase and its flesh is the sweetest of the bunch, making it a nice substitute in any recipe that calls for yam or sweet potato.

Spaghetti This variety was the darling of the late 1980s, when it appeared on every supermarket shelf. Its stringy flesh works well boiled, baked or, in a pinch, micro-waved.

Pumpkin Making pumpkin pie from scratch (not a can) is a snap: peel, cut into chunks, boil until soft then blend the filling with milk, sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon.

Fall Squash and Asian Pear Soup
By David Tombs, executive chef, Delta Sun Peaks Resort

1 large, 5-lb squash (acorn or butternut)
2 tbsp canola oil, divided
Pinch salt
Pinch brown sugar
1 large white onion, diced
2 large carrots, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cinnamon stick
3 star anise
Pinch garam marsala (available in Indian groceries)
2 ripe Asian pears, peeled, cored and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup orange juice
6 cups vegetable stock
2 cups heavy cream (35%)

Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Cut squash into quarters, and remove pulp and seeds. Coat lightly with canola oil (about 1 tbsp) and season with a small pinch of salt and a generous sprinkling of brown sugar. Place in a non-stick roasting pan and bake in oven until soft (about 45 minutes to 1 hour).
While squash is cooking, prepare onion and carrots and combine with ginger and garlic in a heavy-bottomed pot on medium heat. Sauté with 1 tbsp of canola oil until onion is translucent. Add cinnamon stick, star anise, garam marsala and pears to pot. Stir occasionally for 3 minutes.
Deglaze pot with orange juice and stir until evaporated. Add roasted squash
and vegetable stock. Bring pot to a low simmer for 45 minutes. Using a hand blender, purée the mixture and strain through a fine sieve into a clean pot. Add heavy cream and adjust seasoning to taste. Can be served with cilantro garnish, sour cream and fried shallots.

Pie Cocktail
By David Wolowidnyk, West, Vancouver
2 oz pumpkin-infused vodka (recipe follows)
1/2 oz simple syrup
3 ginger snap cookies, ground into crumbs
1 slice orange
1 fresh nutmeg, grated fine
Freshly whipped cream

Chill a martini glass. Place cookie crumbs in a shallow dish. Moisten outer rim of chilled martini glass with and coat rim with cookie crumbs by dipping it in dish. Lift glass, keeping it upside down, and gently remove any crumbs from inside rim to prevent them from falling into cocktail.
Fill a cocktail mixing glass with ice and add 2 oz of pumpkin-infused vodka. Add simple syrup. Shake vigorously until well chilled. Strain into prepared martini glass. Top with whipped cream and freshly grated nutmeg. Makes 1 serving.

Pumpkin-infused vodka
1 small (3-4 lb) organic sugar pumpkin
1 fresh vanilla bean pod
1 cinnamon stick
20 cloves
14–16 cardamom pods
1 litre vodka

To make infusion, cut pumpkin in half and remove pulp and seeds from inside (do not discard). Slice pumpkin into long strips and remove outer skin with a sharp knife, then cut pumpkin flesh into small pieces approximately 1/2-inch thick.
Place half of sliced pumpkin into a 2-litre jar with a tight-closing lid. Make an incision down length of vanilla pod, then insert it into infusion jar with pumpkin pieces. Add cinnamon stick, cloves and cardamom pods. Separate pulp from seeds and put pulp into infusion jar.
Add remaining cubes of pumpkin and fill jar with vodka. Let sit for approximately 2 weeks at room temperature; occasionally stir mixture gently with a spoon. During infusion time flavour of spices will evolve and a brownish-orange colour will be extracted.
Once infusion is complete, line a colander with a single layer of cheesecloth and place it in a large bowl to strain mixture. Press pumpkin with a muddling stick or back of a spoon.
Re-strain resulting vodka through a new single layer of cheesecloth to remove sediment. Funnel infused vodka back into an empty bottle and store in refrigerator. (Keeps indefinitely.)

Roast chicken with brussels sprouts, butternut squash and bacon
David Walker, Weczeria, Saskatoon

6 chicken breasts, skin-on, bone-in
1 large butternut squash
2 potatoes (russet or Yukon gold)
Salt and pepper
6 pieces thick sliced bacon
1 lb Brussels sprouts
1 shallot, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 small red onion (or half a large one), finely diced
3 tbsp reserved bacon fat
1 bunch fresh spinach
1 tbsp sherry vinegar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Fill two medium pots with water and bring to a boil. Peel potatoes and butternut squash. Cut squash in half and deseed. Put half of squash top and all of deseeded squash bottom with potatoes in one pot of water and cook until soft. Dice remaining 1/4 squash into 1 inch by 1 inch pieces and blanch in second pot of water until soft. Set aside. Cut bacon into lardons (matchsticks) and fry until cooked through. Reserve bacon fat.
Purée squash and potatoes together in a food processor with 3 tbsp butter and some salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. Boil brussel sprouts until soft, and reserve. Using 1 tbsp of reserved bacon fat, sauté garlic and shallot. Once golden brown, add diced bell pepper, red onion and green onion, sauté for 1 minute longer, then add sherry vinegar. Set aside.
Reheat brussels sprouts by cooking in some of reserved bacon fat, then season with salt and pepper. Chop spinach into large chunks and sauté with remaining bacon fat.

WINE
Light Bright White
Chile’s cooler regions are turning out impressive white wines. By Sid Cross
It’s top tier and provides remarkable quality for the price: the 2007 Quintay Clava Sauvignon Blanc ($15) from a Casablanca estate. The screw-cap wine explodes with fresh, focused aromatics of lime, grapefruit, gooseberry, grass, thyme and minerals-and this textbook varietal statement rings in at just 12.5 percent alcohol. Enjoy it as an aperitif or with lighter dishes like shellfish, fish and avocado or tomato salads. With each sucessive vintage Chilean whites continue to impress.