In Ireland, almost every home will have a lighted pumpkin lantern outside the door at Halloween. The Jack O’Lantern, as it was originally known, comes from the old Irish folk tale of a boy called Jack, who tricked the Devil, and later died without a resting place in heaven or hell.  Legend has it that his ghost travelled the land carrying a carved turnip lit by a burning ember from the fires of hell, endlessly searching for a place to rest.  A good spooky story for Halloween night! Turnips were often used for carving lanterns in olden times.  But autumn’s seasonal orange pumpkins are way easier to deal with, and have been adopted for this tradition. The top is cut off for a lid, then flesh and seeds are easily scooped out before the hollow pumpkin is carved into a scary face. A tea light placed inside gives an eerie orange glow to the features.   Pumpkin Soup is a good way to use up the carved out flesh. Buy an organic or chemical free Irish pumpkin for this –  they taste much nicer and have firmer flesh than those grown on a mass scale just for lanterns. Spice with chilli, ginger and garlic.  A warming comforting cup,  for after the trick or treating.Pumpkin Soup Recipe