seeds

Another Halloween will soon have passed, and with it more happy memories will be made! It is so very true that those we have lost live on in our hearts and minds. My father left us very suddenly six years ago, right before Halloween, and although not a day goes by that I do not think of him, the weight of his loss feels heavier when I find myself prepping for what used to be be of one of his most favourite nights of the year. Of all things Halloween, I think my father liked carving our pumpkins the best! This was before Martha Stewart, fancy stencils and the Internet. I remember the E.T. Jack-o'-lantern that he once cleverly put together using a tall oval-shaped pumpkin and a long skinny-necked and flat-headed squash. He thought of using decorative gourds, cabbage leaves and other veggies as accessories and body parts long before anybody else we knew, and his masterpieces were even featured in our neighbourhood's weekly paper.

It is no wonder why I put so much pressure on myself to produce original pumpkins each year!  It is a way for me to remember my father and it is hopefully a penchant that will be passed on to my own children when they grow up. What else did my father insist we do each and every year? Well, roasted pumpkin seeds, of course!!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients
Fresh pumpkin seeds
Olive oil
Kosher salt
cumin
Paprika (sweet or smoked)
Cayenne pepper

Directions
1. Wash pumpkin seeds in a colander,  remove any bits of pumpkin flesh, mix with hands to shake excess water out and spread out to dry on a tea towel. Cover with paper towels or another tea towel.

2. Once the seeds are mostly dry (a little moisture is fine), preheat the oven to 350F. In a bowl, toss the seeds with the olive oil, the salt and whatever spices you want. I usually make a simple batch, with olive oil and salt, and a spiced-up second batch with a little salt, cumin,  paprika and a smidgen of cayenne. For two cups of pumpkin seeds you will not want more than a teaspoon of cumin, a small pinch of  paprika and an even smaller pinch of cayenne.  I use whole cumin seeds, which I dry roast in a cast iron pan and grind with a mortar and pestle. Ground cumin will do just fine if it is all that you have on hand. If your paprika is quite strong, or if you use smoked paprika, then go easy on the cayenne or leave it out entirely.

3. Spread onto a cookie sheet and roast in the oven for about 15 minutes, stirring once, for more even cooking, until the seeds are golden brown and crispy. Watch them carefully because they burn easily! Remove from oven, let cool slightly and enjoy as a healthy snack, aperitif or even as a topping for squash or pumpkin soup.