After corn, pumpkin was probably the most eaten vegetable. Pumpkin was baked in breads and pie, used as sauce on cornmeal pudding, fried as fritters, simmered into soup, and even pickled. Pumpkin soup was traditionally made in the winter as pumpkins could keep well in the cellar or dried pumpkins could also be used.
For four servings:
Wash the pumpkin and cut it in half. Remove the seeds and the soft pulp that clings to them. Place the halves in a greased pan, skin side up. Bake at 300¡f until the pulp is tender. A medium size pumpkin will take about an hour. Scrape the pulp from the skin and press it through a strainer with the back of a spoon to remove fibers.
Put the pumpkin in a saucepan over a low flame. Stir in milk. Do not let it boil. Add the salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Serve hot. (The pumpkin shell may be used as a serving bowl.)