Pumpkin flesh

I was rather surprised this evening, when I bought a couple of pumpkins, by what the checkout woman said (and this was in Waitrose mind). I was telling her how nice the seeds were roasted and the flesh made a great soup. She seemed to think you couldn't eat the flesh of these type of pumpkins. What hokum! And what a waste if people make lanterns and don't eat the flesh.

Much as I dislike Hallowe'en and don't understand trick or treat at all (get kids to dress up as monsters and demand sweets for nothing; how does that fit with the N American work ethic and Christian morals?). It used to pass us by as kids as we were too excited about Guy Fawkes night. Now we've all been swamped by US culture and brainwashed by corporations looking at ways to make money by selling sweets and all the paraphernalia that goes with it. Anyway, I like the flesh of squashes and the children like to carve the pumpkins. This photo is of the flesh before being made into soup. Two large pumpkins makes a lot of soup. Unfortunately, I made it after my dinner so a lot is going to have to be frozen and the rest eaten this week.