I have already noticed pumpkins everywhere. As much as I like seeing pumpkin carvings, I enjoy eating   them more. We all have heard that we should eat seasonal fruits and vegetables. There are two main advantages to this suggestion: They taste the best, and they are cheap. But it just dawned on me why South Dakotans don’t eat vegetables. Here I am, talking about seasonal fruits and vegetables, and then I think of long dead winter where the only green I see is Christmas trees or grocery store shelves. Thanks to the modern food processing technologies and grocery stores, we have access to fresh foods throughout the year.

So, since I was on the pumpkin topic, I am going to share a couple ways to eat pumpkins and squash. Pumpkins are rich in carotene, the same nutrient you get from carrots, as well as a rich source of vitamin A, C, manganese, fiber and a lot more. Basically what I am trying to say is eat more pumpkins and squash. Here are some tips on how to fix it.

Seeds: the leftover seeds after pumpkin carvings – don’t throw them away. They are great source of essential oils. Roast them in the oven or sauté it for snacking.

You will need:

2 cups of rinsed pumpkin seeds

2  tbsp. olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

–  If you are roasting, mix everything together. Sprinkle your favorite herb in it or spice (thyme, garlic or cumin, etc). Roast it at 375 for about 8 to 10 minutes. And its ready.

–  If sautéing, heat the olive oil and then add the seeds and then salt and pepper.  Cook on medium high heat for about 3 -5 minutes until you smell a toasty aroma.

Butternut squash

You need:

Butternut squash

3 tbsp. butter

1 tbsp. brown sugar

2 tbsp. maple syrup

½ tbsp. cinnamon

¼ tssp. nutmeg

– Cut it in half and clean the inside. Using a fork, poke the insides. Now sprinkle a teaspoon of salt on each side and drizzle olive oil on it. Put it on a baking sheet and put it in pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for a good 45 minutes. If you can easily poke a fork all the way through, it’s done. Otherwise, cook for another 10 to 15 minutes until it’s tender.  Take it out and cool it until ready to use again.

–  Scoop the insides of squash, add butter, maple syrup, sugar, spices and mix and season it with salt and pepper.

Grilling

Cut slices of pumpkin, remove the peel and toss it in some oil. While grilling, sprinkle salt and pepper lightly. When the pumpkin slices starts to cook a little, you can sprinkle some brown sugar on them and caramelize the sugar on the grill. It’s SO good.

Enjoy these for now and I will have more recipes coming your way soon.