What vegetable may be round, oblong or spherical, smooth or bumpy and comes in a variety of rich autumn colors? Hint: It can sit prettily on the kitchen counter through March, waiting for someone to figure out its full range of possibilities.

The answer is winter squash.

The most common types of winter squash are butternut, acorn and spaghetti. Others include buttercup, banana, Cushaw, delicate, Hubbard and turban. A plentiful variety exists within each type of squash, with a choice of sweetness, color and size.

Winter squash differ from summer squash in part because they are kept on the vine to full maturity, when the seeds are completely grown. Winter squash tend to have a harder exterior that helps to maintain their freshness when stored in a cool place over the long winter months. The most notable difference between winter and summer squash is that winter varieties are only served cooked, while most summer squash can be eaten raw, as well as cooked.

The most unusual winter squash is the spaghetti squash. When fully cooked, the scooped-out flesh resembles spaghetti and can be used in place of noodles in a savory dish or sweetened up with a bit of honey, cinnamon and butter for a sweet, spiced treat.

Butternut squash, with a more traditional texture, is generally beige on the outside, with rich, orange flesh inside. This squash makes for a tasty soup or may be simply split in half, drizzled with honey or maple syrup and butter or olive oil, plus a pinch of salt and pepper, and baked until soft. Other varieties have a flesh similar to that of the butternut, kind of like a pumpkin that is rich and creamy when cooked.

The many rich fall colors of winter squash add a piquant touch to any holiday table with little effort. Treating the squash like a Halloween pumpkin by cutting a hole in the top and scraping out the majority of the flesh is the first step. This flesh can be baked in a casserole, cubed and added to stuffing, creamed into a wonderful side dish or even made into soup. More ideas on how to cook up squash turn up in an Internet search. A vegetarian cookbook may also offer other innovative recipes.

A fun bonus comes in using the squash shells as soup bowls. Save each squash top, garnish the tasty winter soup and add the natural lid to surprise guests with the wonderful treat within. Smaller varieties can be used as bowls for dips or as creative containers to serve salad dressing at the table.

For strictly decorative use, winter squash make a long-lasting base for a seasonal flower arrangement, either as a place accent or centerpiece. Another special touch comes in carving small shapes into different-sized shells and placing small glasses with tea lights in the bottoms. To add extra sparkle, press small crystals or other light-reflecting stones into the outer rind. Now, that’s a posh squash.

Click here for Sugar Pumpkin Pie recipe.

Anjela Boyd is a freelance writer based in Wrightwood, CA. Connect at [email protected] or AnjelaBoyd.com.