It's that time of the year when pumpkins—large and small traditional orange pumpkins, kabocha and others—can be found in local markets. While Americans associate pumpkins with Halloween, the Europeans who first began celebrating All Hallows Eve on Oct. 31 used big white turnips to mark the day—carving spooky skeletons from their white flesh.

It was the American colonists who used what was plentiful in their new home—pumpkins—to carve out weird faces for the holiday. Today we can look forward to pumpkin pie and other treats made from the nutrient-packed flesh and seeds of those pumpkins.

We learn more every year about the health benefits of those orange-yellow traditional pumpkins, how their carotenes and other plant pigments help maintain health, and the nutritional value of their seeds.

One cup of pumpkin puree has less than 1 gram of fat, more than 2 grams of protein, 310 percent (!) of daily requirement of vitamin A and 20 percent of vitamin C, and is also a great source of iron, potassium, folate, zinc and selenium.

What's not to like about 80 calories per cup of pumpkin? It's a good way to sneak vitamin-rich flavor, texture and nutrients into smoothies, soups, stew and chili. Pumpkin seeds are not only tasty, but also are second only to peanuts in protein.

Pumpkins belong to a plant family known scientifically as Cucurbitaceae. We call it the “;pumpkin family”; or “;the gourd family”; when talking about it casually. Other members include the beautiful woodlike dried gourds that ancient Hawaiians called ipu—so important as percussion implements in keeping the beat for hula dancers and chanters, and also for carrying water or holding treasured items.

Also in this plant family are luffa sponges and vegetables such as squash, zucchini, watermelon, cantaloupe, chayote, bittermelon and honeydew, as well as the ornamental bottle gourds, snake gourds, the “;calabash tree”; and the weedy “;ivy gourd”; that became a nuisance when imported to Hawaii, quickly growing over acres of other plants and blocking their access to sunlight.

The Hawaiian native plants, 'anunu and kupala belong to this family.

pumpkin picking

Great Pumpkin Patch events at Kapolei's Aloun Farm are open to students and groups of at least 20 on weekday mornings by appointment. Each year, more than 12,000 children are escorted through the farm's pumpkin patches to see a working produce farm and learn about the work involved in growing each year's crops. They go on a hayride around the farm and each one can pick a pumpkin to take home.

You don't have to be a kid to visit the farm. On the last two weekends in October, Aloun Farms hosts its Sixth Annual Great Kapolei Pumpkin Patch event. Visitors of all ages are welcome from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 18, 19, 25 and 28.

Events include tractor-pulled hayrides, pony rides, food and games. Parking is $3 and pumpkins will be priced according to size. (Note: It's cash only.)

Aloun Farms is at 91-1440 Farrington Highway. Call 677-9516. Visit www.alounfarms.com.