Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
I've said it before and I'll say it again: roast your damn pumpkin seeds. Matter of fact, if you're making squash, and that's ANY squash, you had better save and roast those seeds or I swear to God... jkjk I won't do anything.
I think maybe I was a depression era mother of six in a past life because it makes my skin crawl to think that so many people out there are just throwing out these delicious morsels. Like most wonderful things, this snack is all wrapped up in my childhood memories. On Halloween, my dad would carve a gigantic pumpkin into something terrifying and scoop messy handfuls of pumpkin guts into a bowl. My mom would pick out the pumpkin seeds and roast them and we would crunch on them between dinner and trick-or-treating. That was it for the pumpkin seeds, one night and one night only, a seasonal treat that we could have only on Halloween.
Well, now that I'm an adult, I can have them whenever I want. But you know what, I think that the seasonality of certain foods actually makes them better. If I make spaghetti squash in the summer, duh I'm going to roast up dem seeds because, like I said, my soul is that of a depression era housewife, and while they are delicious, something about it is just a little off. Now, when it's October and my just carved jack-o-lantern is on the porch, it feels soooooo right to be watching a scary movie and munchin' on some salty seeds.
I've adjusted my pumpkin seed eating period of acceptability to the whole of Autumn, since I do regularly cook with hard squashes throughout the entire season. Is anyone else out there a pumpkin seed eater? Anyone else have a seasonal food that they love to save for that special time of year? Next up for me is homemade chex mix... my family's Thanksgiving seasonal speciality!
Roasted Squash Seeds
Directions
Preheat oven to 350. If desired, pick seeds out of pumpkin guts. If you want pumpkin-y flavored seeds, leave the guts on (this actually tastes GREAT!). Mix seeds with an appropriate amount of olive oil and spread on a sheet pan.
Sprinkle seeds with salt. If desired, add additional spices. Here are some ideas:
-za'atar
-curry powder
-paprika and black pepper
-honey
Roast in oven for around 20 minutes or until seeds are golden brown. You may want to stir them up halfway through. Remove seeds from oven and pour into a bowl. Add additional salt if necessary and chow down while they are still warm.
