Pumpkin Pyramids, Squash Centerpieces

The local big box grocery store started carrying more than your standard jack-o-lantern pumpkins.  I'm guessing that they are marketing them as doorstep ornaments.

I have been buying them as I see interesting ones and using them as doorstep ornaments.  After Halloween, most of them are destined for the plate.  All but the warty one on the lower left are perfect for pie or any other recipe that calls for "one can of pumpkin".
The typical jack-o-lantern pumpkin tastes more like a squash and some squash, like the Queensland Blue and the Chersonkysa, taste more like a pie pumpkin.  The first and third from the top, are probably Cinderella type pumpkins, "Rouge vif D'Etampes", a moist and delicious variety.  The white one is probably a "Casper", not as tasty as the more deeply lobed "Lumina", but a good choice for pies or bars.
The key is not to let these cucurbits freeze or rot before you can use them.
To use them, first, roast them.
Before roasting, I check to see if the mystery cucurbit is "not a gourd".
A gourd doesn't taste good.  It also doesn't smell good.  If I open a mystery cucurbit and it smells bitter, it probably won't get better with roasting, so I take a pass.  If I open a mystery cucurbit and it smells like a pumpkin or a squash, I go forward.
To transform a decoration into an ingredient:

1. Cut open the squash/pumpkin and scoop out the seeds.
2. Cut the pumpkin/squash into quarters or eighths
3. Place the quarters/eighths on a baking sheet.
4. Roast until pumpkin/squash flesh is tender.
5. Remove flesh from the skin.
6. Puree the flesh in a food processor.
7. Vacuum seal, label, and freeze.

After a couple of years of drooling over seed catalogs, I recognize pumpkin/squash varieties and buy them cheaply at the big box store.  They make great decorations and even better breads, pies, and bars.  Keep an eye open for them.