Foodie Friday: Pumpkin Puree and Roasted Seeds

Despite not feeling like fall here in Texas the autumn, equinox has passed and I decided it was time to make pumpkin bread. I already had everything I needed at home except the pumpkin puree. The grocery store on a Sunday afternoon was chaos and part of it was being worked on and I couldn’t find the pre-made stuff in a can so on Keltin’s suggestion we bought a pumpkin and I made it at home. I also decided to try things this way to go with as little waste as possible – the unused portion of the pumpkin will go in my compost bin rather than the can to a landfill and no one need spend the energy recycling it.

Making pumpkin puree requires two ingredients: 4-6 pound pumpkin and salt.

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400°F Wash the pumpkin and remove the stem. Cut the pumpkin in half from where the stem was located down to the base.
2. Scoop out the inside and set aside in a bowl if you wish to toast the seeds later.
3. Sprinkle salt liberally on the meat of the pumpkin and place cut side down on a baking sheet. Roast for 30-45 minutes until the outside can easily be punctured with a chefs knife.
4. Allow to cool on a wire rack for an hour before scooping out the insides.
5. Process in a food processor for 3-4 minutes until smooth. The puree can be used immediately or stored in the fridge or freezer for later use.

1. While the pumpkin is roasting in the oven clean the seeds and remove the fibers. Wash and allow to dry completely.
2. Pre-heat oven to 300°F. Toss seeds in butter or olive oil and preferred seasoning. I just used butter and sea salt.
3. Toast in over for 45 minutes. Allow to cool before eating.

Here is the pumpkin bread recipe!

Have a happy fall and enjoy all the wonderful pumpkins. Happy friday and have a good weekend.

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