It's Pumpkin Carving Time

It’s the weekend before Halloween, and if you haven’t already, it’s time to carve your pumpkins.

I have such fond memories carving pumpkins as a child. I still remember the summer my brother and I asked if we could plant pumpkins in our family garden.

My Mom cautiously said, “um, sure,” and without adult supervision, pumpkin seeds were scattered here, there and everywhere in the backyard soil. 

We completely forgot about the pumpkins until the vines took over the garden. By early October, we must’ve had nearly 100 pumpkins ready to pick. But we only needed two of them for ourselves.

So, we set up a modest roadside stand at the end of our driveway. With pumpkins of all shapes and sizes, we turned our front yard into a pumpkin picking patch. 

We sold all of them (for 50 cents each) in a couple of days as word spread through our community about those "crazy Montri kids who planted all those pumpkins."

What I appreciate about carving pumpkins now is that the entire pumpkin is useful. Much of it is edible: the seeds and pumpkin meat are extraordinarily tasty. The meat is low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium, high in dietary fiber, and is a good source of many nutrients including vitamin A (off the charts), vitamin C, and potassium. In addition, the seeds are high in protein.

Pumpkins also compost easily; we even have a "pumpkin graveyard" at the end of our backyard where friends and neighbors can bring their spent pumpkin shells.

Roasted Pumpkin

To make roasted pumpkin, after carving, take the remaining pieces of the meat (left over from the eyes, nose, mouth, etc.). Cut off the orange skin. Dice, chop, or slice the meaty flesh and toss with olive oil, salt and garlic cloves. Roast along with the seeds or, wrap in foil and roast on the grill.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

For roasted pumpkin seeds, take two cups of raw whole pumpkin seeds and wash them. For flavor, you can use a mix of two teaspoons of melted butter and some salt, or you could also add two teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce and garlic salt for a different kick. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Toss seeds in a bowl with the melted butter and salt. Mix thoroughly and place in shallow baking dish. Spread the seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown.