We've taken the conventional pumpkin-as-familiar-children's-icon and turned it on its ear to create an elegant, new rustic version of autumn's favourite food that's perfect for playing host this season. Here, gourds and squash play as important a role at the table, while pumpkins travel far beyond their roots and find new life as inventive accents, with barely a jack-o'-lantern in sight.
Singular sensations
Cut the neck of a gourd into slices and hollow them out well with a sharp knife. Use as individual napkin rings. Remember to do this the day before you use them at the earliest-they won't last forever!
Table talk
Bring out a painted weathered farmhouse table, and go more bleached and whitewashed for a lighter take on rustic. The candlelight will create a glow with an entirely different mood than that of a room with varnished wood furniture.
Sweetness and light
Choose an assortment of small pumpkins and cut a notch in the tops. Add tea lights and arrange in a line down the centre of your table.
Give it a rest
Tiny ornamental pumpkins or gourds are used as individual flatware rests between courses. A variety of colours and shapes lends an eclectic, spontaneous air.
Sticks and stones
Hollow out a medium-sized pumpkin and fill it with a candle or bird sand, small stones or coloured granules. Add incense sticks or votive candles for quick, easy seasonal decorations.
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