Gourds, squash and pumpkins — or scientifically speaking, members of the Cucurbitaceae family of plants — have long been multipurpose produce. Dried and used as vessels for drinking and storage, filled with beans as musical instruments and, high in antioxidants, the autumnal plants have even been used in wellness and beauty applications.
Equally versatile in the world of cooking, they can be sturdy enough to replace the meat in tacos, rich enough to replicate cream in a soup and healthy enough to keep your engine chugging through flu season.
