As the fall season is ushered in with the opening of Autumn at the Arboretum, the garden debuts a new "Dallas Arboretum Pumpkin Festival Recipes." The inspiration for this collection came from Chandler Lindsley, the granddaughter of Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt. With colorful pumpkin photos and fall scenes of the Dallas Arboretum, the small recipe book is available at the Arboretum's Hoffman Family Gift Store for $4.95. All proceeds from the book will go to the care, maintenance and growth of the Arboretum.

Lindsley has been involved with the Dallas Arboretum for many years, having donated the Shadow Garden in honor of her husband, Henry Dickinson Lindsley, III.

Lindsley began forming the idea for a Pumpkin Cookbook after she had written another cookbook, called "Cookies with Eleanor." This book sells at the Roosevelt Campobello International Park in New Brunswick, Canada, Hyde Park, Warm Springs and the FDR 

Memorialall places associated with FDR.

"One of my responsibilities (at the Park) is the gift shop, the visitor center and the home, and I'm always looking for something small and inexpensive for the gift shop," said Lindsley. "We began serving a formal 'Tea with Eleanor,' with different types of cookies. People began asking us for these recipes, so I compiled a cookbook, and it has been very popular." Other books that she's written include "Quotable Eleanor" and "Quotable Franklin."

Lindsley approached Dallas Arboretum President Mary Brinegar and Hoffman Gift Store Buyer Karen Reardon with the idea. Brinegar said, "I loved the idea of a Pumpkin Cookbook because it ties in beautifully with our nationally acclaimed Pumpkin Village with 65,000 pumpkins, gourds and squash. Plus, debuting the cookbook during Autumn at the Arboretum is perfect."

Given the green light, Chandler Lindsley and Barbara Brooks, a volunteer at the Arboretum, co-chaired the process. They asked for recipes from their friends, especially those who are wonderful cooks, and received recipes from near and far. Lindsley, who considers herself a decent cook, tested all of them. Then, the co-chairs asked for tasters to help cook and sample all the recipes. The Dallas Arboretum contributed the photography.

In Lindsley's opinion, "The simplest recipe and the best is the pumpkin ice cream from JoAnne Roosevelt, who is my sister-in-law." Her favorite recipes?  "There's a wonderful Mystery Pumpkin Soup from Joan McIlyar, and Ginny Eulich's Pumpkin 'Yum' Cake made with half a pound of butter. Of course, it's delicious!"

Special thanks to the taste testers: Carole Doyle, Carolyn Galitz, Chandler Lindsley, Veronica Mancuso-Davis, Clarice Marshall, Kay Sansone, Jean Scudder, Kay Toole, Gail Ugarte, Alice Wallis and Ginny Wilcox.

Special thanks to the recipe contributors: Mary Brinegar, Ginny Eulich, Ann Evans, Shirley Jackson, Kathy Lemmer, Chandler Lindsley, Dr. Chandler Lindsley, Joan McIlyar, Jo Anne Roosevelt and Karen Towler.

The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden celebrates Autumn at the Arboretum, one of the Southwest's largest fall festivals, featuring the nationally acclaimed Pumpkin Village with four storybook themed pumpkin houses, fall foliage and plenty of events. The festival runs from September 20 through November 26, 2014. For more information on Autumn at the Arboretum or any of the events, call 214.515.6500 or visit http://www.dallasarboretum.org/visit/seasonal-festivals-events/autumn-at-the-arboretum. 

Autumn at the Arboretum is made possible by Alliance Data, Gateway Buick and Texas Instruments. Additional sponsors include:

C.C. Young (Senior Thursdays Sponsor)

Mutual of Omaha, BDO and Northern Trust (Pumpkin House Sponsors)

Tom Thumb (Pumpkin Patch Sponsor)

Doctors Hospital at White Rock Lake (Pumpkin Village Sponsor)

Kimberly-Clark (Mommy and Me Mondays and Tiny Tot Tuesdays Sponsor)