CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- I have two very good pumpkin recipes to give this month. I'm ignoring pumpkin desserts (naturally expected in this thankful month), in favor of a savory pumpkin chili and a corn chowder.

You could cook your own fresh pumpkin for the recipes. I did that once, just from curiosity, but I wasn't taken with the end result. The color, texture and taste weren't the same as what's in the good old Libby's can. It was more like cooked-down yellow summer squash instead of what we are more accustomed to. I was later reassured by a pumpkin authority that sometimes the cooked pumpkin does turn out that way, to many a cook's surprise.

There are excellent values in a pumpkin, whether working with fresh or canned. The flaming orange hue means the pumpkin is high in beta carotene, which equals rich in vitamin A.

A one-half cup serving of pumpkin covers half of the day's needs of the vitamin. Like carrots, which have been given the same nature's color bath, vitamin A keeps vision sharp. Think about it -- we've never seen Bugs Bunny wearing glasses.

The weather is getting just right for chili and this one is vitamin-and-veggie-packed.

It was a finalist in the 2009 Pumpkin Festival in Milton. Next column I'll give the first-place winner in the category -- a creamy pumpkin corn chowder.

Pumpkin Chili

Makes 8 servings.

     1     tablespoon olive oil

     1/2  cup chopped onion

     1    cup chopped orange or red bell pepper

     1     clove garlic, minced

     2    cups diced yellow squash or zucchini or mixture of both

     2    14-ounce cans diced tomatoes with green chilies

     2    14-ounce cans chicken or vegetable broth

     1    15-ounce can pumpkin

     1    15-ounce can black beans, drained

     1     small fresh ear of corn, kernels cut from cob or about 1/2 cup frozen

     2     tablespoons chili powder

     1 1/2     teaspoons cumin

     1/2     teaspoon black pepper

     Salt to taste

HEAT oil in pot; sauté onion, pepper and garlic about 5 minutes.

STIR in squash; cook 5 to 10 minutes; stir in all remaining ingredients except salt.

BRING to boil on high; reduce heat to low and simmer, covered 30 minutes; taste and add salt before serving.

Nutrition information: Per cup: 120 calories, 25 calories from fat, 2.5 grams fat, zero grams saturated fat, zero milligrams cholesterol, 830 milligrams sodium, 20 grams carbohydrates, 7 grams fiber, 6 grams protein.

Reach Judy Grigoraci at ...@suddenlink.net.