Pumpkin Recipes

This halloween, be sure to keep your spooky celebrations sustainable, healthy and low waste. Treat yourself to a locally grown pumpkin and save your fruit and seeds. These also work perfectly for any squash.

Wishing you all a spectacularly spooky halloween! As you gauge out your pumpkins, make sure to save the nutritious fruit and seeds with these delicious autumnal recipes…

Robust, substantial and full of flavour. Great to make in bulk and have as lunch box filler. I sometimes put the platter on the table with forks, a bowl of hummus and just let people dig in.

Pumpkin provides well above the recommended daily intake of vitamin A, an important anticancer and healing vitamin.

Stone fruits have been show to have a protective effect on heart health, amongst their many benefits. Plums contain unsolicited acid which has anti cancer properties and plenty of vitamins A, C & K, so good for bones and healing.

They do not have a significant effect on blood glucose levels and so are a useful addition to a low glycemic diet. Red onions are a great source of prebiotic fibre and antioxidants.

Roasted Pumpkin & Plum Salad
GF – DF – V – VE – NF

– Serves 4 // 80 mins for effort –

INGREDIENTS:

For the salad:
1x Pumpkin (large)
2x Red onions
1x Garlic bulb
6x tbsp Cumin seeds
8x Plums
1x tsp Pumpkin seeds (extra points for saving these from your pumpkin)
100g Rocket

For the dressing:
3x tbsp Tahini
1x Lemon
Pinch Sea Salt
Twist of Black Pepper

METHOD:

Pre-heat the oven to 180C.

Prepare the pumpkin or squash by cutting into inch thick and into half moon shapes about 4 inches long and de-seed.
Quarter the onions. Halve the plums and de-stone.
Arrange the pumpkin, garlic and onion on a tray and season. Add some olive oil and sprinkle over the cumin seeds.
Pop into the oven for 40 minutes or until soft and golden. Halfway through, add the plums and seeds and turn everything over.
Whilst the veg is cooking, arrange the rocket on a large platter. Make the dressing by combining the tahini, juice of a lemon and 2 or 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. It may thicken up to a paste – if this happens add a splash of water to loosen again.
When cooked, take out the roasted veg over the rocket and add to the platter. Sprinkle over the seeds. Squeeze out the garlic cloves. Drizzle over the tahini dressing and a final crack of black pepper and add any juice from the roasting process.
Also, pumpkin is happily replaced by squash!

SAVE YOUR SEEDS
Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
GF – DF – V – VE – NF

– Serves 4 // 15 mins for effort –

COOKING STEPS

This is the perfect time to save your seeds from this delicious fruit.

Once you have gauged out your spooky (or wholesome…) design, simply separate and rinse your seeds then pat dry with a clean tea towel.

Spread onto a baking tray in a single layer and a strong sprinkle of salt. Then bake for 15mins at 150°.

Once browned, allow to cool and store in a airtight container. You can add these to so many dishes.

You can have these on their own as a snack, asThe perfect salad or soup addition.

NUTRIENTS

Pumpkin seeds are rich in antioxidants, iron, zinc and magnesium.

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