By TODD PORTER
As the autumn months settle in, Southern California is often denied the natural glories of changing seasons. The colors are muted, the bite in the air is more of a nibble, and many of the classic edible harvests are nowhere to be seen. (It’s hard having a perfect temperate climate nearly all year long.) Thankfully, there is still at least one sign of fall that even Southern California gets to revel in: the harvesting of glorious winter squash, including those brilliant orange orbs, pumpkins.
 
 
Few crops epitomize autumn more than the winter squash family. Slowly, over the summer months, the squash absorb the warm sun, feed upon the earth’s rich nutrients, swell their masses and harden their shells. Long after berries and stone fruit have spent their splendor, the squash family continues to offer its wares in increasing abundance.
 
 
Nearly all winter squash share a hard, thick rind and usually a pale yellow to brilliant orange interior flesh. Beyond these basic details the squashes’ individual personalities start to emerge. There is the delicately ridged acorn squash, mimicking the shape of the nut for which it’s named; the tan and smooth bell-shaped butternut squash, which rings in pure pleasure for a cook’s repertoire; squat, green and striped, the buttercup squash seems more like a schoolyard ball than an edible commodity, and yet when cooked it evokes the sweet potato. And of course, all of the different pumpkin varieties, in unforgettable orange, inspire more character comparisons with their hardened stems and distorted shapes than a sky full of cumulus clouds.
 
Getting beyond the visual appeal of winter squash, the seemingly impenetrable mass takes just a little coaxing to yield culinary treasure. The tough rind is nearly always removed, either by peeling before or after roasting, at which point the flesh is easily scooped away from its tough armor. The other disposable part of winter squash is the center nest of seeds and the fibers that hold them there, although almost universally these seeds lend themselves perfectly to being seasoned and roasted, then saved as a snack.
 
 
It is the nutrient-packed flesh that holds the main focus of a cook’s attention. Using slow-cooking techniques that mirror the slow-growing maturation of the squash themselves, they soon offer a sweet flesh that’s as fragrant and earthy as the ground they’ve spent their lives maturing in. Just as the shapes of winter squash are variations on a theme, the textures of the cooked flesh are distinguished merely by nuances. (Spaghetti squash serves as a wild card, with an interior that separates into long, spaghetti-like strands). The majority of the other winter squash vary in smoothness and moisture content, but otherwise maintain similar texture qualities.
 
 
Although they are most commonly known as a Halloween decoration, pumpkins shouldn’t be forgotten at the table. Sometimes the convenience of buying a pre-made ingredient for a recipe outweighs the effort is takes to make it from scratch. Other times there is absolutely no comparison to the homemade product and home-roasting pumpkin purée is definitely one of the latter circumstances. A necessity for many holiday recipes, most people will buy pumpkin purée by the can at their local grocer and be satisfied. Yet roasting one’s own pumpkin purée is so simple, it keeps well and the flavor can’t be matched. Sample a pie made from homemade pumpkin purée and you’ll always want to make this extra-special treat from scratch.
 
 
Everything has its purpose, and the behemoths used for carving usually aren’t meant to be eaten. Instead, find a nice Sugar pumpkin at the farmers’ market, a good grocer or even grow your own. Plan a day trip to a pick-your-own farm to pick out a large carving pumpkin or two, and ask if they have any good cooking pumpkins this year. With fresh purée having an earthy, roasted quality unmatched by the canned stuff, the result of your efforts will be a fabulous dessert or a fantastic filling for autumnal ravioli.
 
 
Unlike their fast-lane summer brethren, winter squash are especially slow to spoil. As the nights become longer, everything slows down and the winter squash will patiently wait for weeks or months without even showing a blemish. The harder the rind, and the less moist the interior flesh, the longer the squash will keep.
 
 
From haunting decorations, to comforting soups as the evenings draw in, to Thanksgiving sides and grand finales, winter squash are the culinary emblem of autumn. Take the time to craft some of these beauties into fabulous meals and desserts and declare that even here in sunny Southern California, we know what fall tastes like.
 
 
See recipes:

• Pumpkin Puree
• Truffled Butternut Squash Soup

GO TO edibleLA.com FOR A LIST OF LOCAL PICK-YOUR-OWN-FARMS.
TODD PORTER is a Los Angeles-based photographer and cooking instructor. He is also the author of the food website WhiteOnRiceCouple.com