Perfectly Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Every year I toast the pumpkin seeds from our jack-o-lantern. And every year I don't like the way they turn out- usually burnt. Until this year! I present to you my process, arrived at through much trial and error, for:

Perfectly Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

What you need:

rimmed metal baking sheet or pan

seeds from 1 pumpkin (probably somewhere between 1 and 2 cups)

olive oil

salt

Here's what I did:

1. I did not bother to rinse my pumpkin seeds. I just picked out the really big pieces and left most of the little stringy stuff. As someone else suggested, a little pumpkin goo never hurt anybody, and adds even more flavor. It dries up when you bake the seeds.

2. I read somewhere that it would be a good idea to spread out the seeds in a single layer to dry overnight. So I did. This seemed preferable to boiling the seeds in salty water prior to baking, as another website suggested. Both methods claim to make them easier to eat if you plan to eat the entire seed rather than cracking it open to get just the tender kernel inside.  I really don't think I'd go to all this trouble for a few tiny morsels.

3. When you're ready to roast, toss the seeds with 1 or 2 tablespoons of olive oil (in my failed attempts I used regular vegetable oil) and salt to taste.

4. Place on a greased rimmed metal baking sheet or pan in a single layer.

5. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees and bake until the seeds are lightly browned and fragrant.

For how long, you ask? 
I think this is the important part:

6. Depended on how many seeds you're toasting, how thick or thin your seeds are, how dark your baking pan is, how well your oven is calibrated, how much oil you used, and Lord knows how many other factors, this will probably take between 10 and 30 minutes (some say up to 45). I wouldn't believe any recipe or chef who presumes to give you an exact time. Mine took 20 minutes. About half-way through I took them out, shook the pan, and tasted one to check their progress. When they're done: they smell delicious, appear nicely browned, and taste crispy but are easy to bite into and chew. Sort of like an APGAR score for pumpkin seeds!

I think you can store these in an airtight container for about a week, but you won't need to!

And just to prove I'm a gourmet, the wine pairing for Perfectly Toasted Pumpkin Seeds is Lucky Duck Riesling ($3 a bottle at WalMart).
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CRAZY WEATHER, INDEED

Sandy didn't mess with us much here in the New River Valley, but it's just not right to wake up to snow on the day before Halloween!

Snow on the ground, leaves still on the trees... What the...?

Pumpkin-Ricotta Stuffed Shells

I discovered this recipe last fall, and was thrilled to share it with my sewing friend, Allison. She looked it over and started asking questions-

Allison: Where did you get fresh basil and sage?
ME: I didn't. I used a few dried herbs from my cabinet.
Allison: Did you get the pecorino Romano from Kroger?
ME: No, I used the Parmesan cheese in the shaker canister.
Allison: I thought Steve didn't like garlic.
ME: He doesn't, so I left it out. But I snuck in a little garlic powder.

You get the idea. So, I am pleased to pass this family favorite along to you, with my adaptations in italics.

Pumpkin-Ricotta Stuffed Shells

Country Living/ October 2011

24 jumbo pasta shells (cook the whole box, they don't all survive intact!) 

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (I didn't use this, although it probably keeps them moister)

22 ounces (2 1/2 cups)  fat-free ricotta (my container was a few ounces more, but I used the whole thing)

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree (I have used both puree and solid pack pumpkin, which is easier to find at the store. Both work.) 

2 1/2 ounces (3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons)pecorino Romano, grated (I used grated parmesan from the shaker canister)

1 large egg white

2 garlic cloves, minced (I substituted a little garlic powder)

1 cup fresh basil and 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage (I used 1 teaspoon each of dried thyme, basil, parsley and marjoram instead)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 (26 ounce) jar store-bought tomato sauce (I used a 24 ounce can of Hunt's Four Cheese spaghetti sauce)

1. Cook pasta shells according to package instructions; drain. Transfer to a baking sheet and drizzle with oil. Set aside and let cool.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together ricotta, pumpkin, 3/4 cup of pecorino Romano, and remaining ingredients, except tomato sauce.

3. Preheat oven to 350. Spread sauce in bottom of 9x13" baking dish. Fill each pasta shell with about 3 tablespoons ricotta-pumpkin mixture and arrange in pan. Cover pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove foil, sprinkle with remaining pecorino, and bake for 15 minutes more. (If desired, stuff shells the night before and refrigerate overnight in an airtight container, in between layers of plastic wrap; arrange shells on sauce right before baking.) This might be where the drizzle of olive oil would come in handy.

I refrigerate what's left over and microwave future servings as needed. It's just as delicious the second (and third) time around.

If you are intimidated by the idea of stuffing the shells, don't be! I was, too, but if I can do it I know you can. Figure out how 3 tablespoons of filling relates to a 1/4 cup measuring cup, and use that- it's easier than spooning out 3 separate tablespoons each time. Hold the shell in your palm, propping it open with your thumb and forefinger. Fill it with the measuring cup in the other hand. Since my larger container of ricotta makes a bit of extra filling, I am usually able to generously stuff about 28 shells, which is about how many usually don't fall apart before I can get them stuffed. 

For another great pumpkin treat, try my favorite Cranberry-Pumpkin Bread recipe. 

Be on the lookout for my upcoming experiments with Parmesan Pumpkin pasta sauce!

Our Favorite Squirrel

You already know we name our wildlife visitors when we can. But, although squirrels are very cute and fun to watch, they usually all look alike. We have regular gray squirrels in the front yard, while the larger, fluffier brownish fox squirrels hang out in the backyard.

White Nose has been with us a few years. I guess you can see how he got his name! The first time I saw him, I thought he had gotten into some white paint!

It's fortunate (and probably not a coincidence) that we have lots of squirrel families here, since we have more than our fair share of nut-producing trees including oak, walnut and hickory. The squirrels use tree stumps as little dining tables to crack and eat their nuts. And they stay busy all day burying and transporting them in preparation for winter.

We have had two other named squirrels in our 16 years here. Short Tail (also named for her physical uniqueness) would come up the tree right next to our patio to ask for bread. Fall Down Squirrel would just topple over and roll around on the ground a lot. We're not sure whether there was something wrong with him or he was just an entertainer, but he was only here for one year.

Thanks for all your help clearing away our nuts, White Nose and friends. You are definitely welcome here!

Cranberry Pumpkin Bread

As mentioned in a previous post, I had promised my family pumpkin bread. Even they know it doesn't taste any better when baked in a $30 Williams-Sonoma pumpkin motif pan (which I don't own), but I wouldn't have blamed them for thinking that the $16.95 pumpkin-spice bread mix (which I also didn't buy) might have been just a little bit tastier than anything I could whip up on my own. But, as I mentioned, I have a few tried-and-true recipes in the "Fall bread/cake" category, so I pulled one out (changed it a little, embellished it a little), and out came a loaf of Cranberry Pumpkin Bread. Added bonus: Mabz came down the stairs exclaiming how delicious the kitchen smelled!

The original recipe called for two cups of sugar, and that's the way I've made it in the past, which was certainly delicious, but one cup of sugar is 774 calories! So I reduced the sugar to one cup this time, and added some chopped walnuts. We all thought the bread was delicious, but I should have known better than to mention my little sugar experiment... So today I made another full-sugar loaf, and at dinner we had a taste test. My husband chose the lower-sugar version as the better one, and my daughter admitted that she couldn't tell the difference. Ha!

Here's the recipe if you want to try it:

Cranberry Pumpkin Bread

(adapted from Libby's canned pumpkin)

Makes 1 loaf.

2 slightly beaten eggs

1 cups sugar

1/2 vegetable oil

1 cup solid pack pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)**

2 1/4 cups flour

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped cranberries*

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans)

Pre-heat oven to 350.
Combine eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Mix well (with fork or whisk).  

Combine flour, spice, soda and salt in a larger mixing bowl. Make a well in the center.
Pour pumpkin mixture into well and stir just until dry ingredients are moistened.
Stir in cranberries and nuts.
Spoon batter into a greased and floured 9"x5" loaf pan.
Bake at 350 for approximately one hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

It's best to let it cool in the pan, then wrap the loaf in plastic wrap. It tastes even better the next day. This bread also freezes well, either the whole loaf or slices stored in baggies- great for lunchboxes!

*Cranberries may not be available in your area yet. My family likes cranberry sauce all year 'round, so I buy bags of them in-season to keep in my freezer. They'll last in good condition until the next holiday season.
** I also stock up on canned pumpkin beginning around Halloween, since it's often hard to find throughout the year.

Autumn Colors, Peppers & Cooking with Pumpkin

Autumn Colors

The first sign of fall in our yard is always the beautiful color of my favorite sugar maple:

The burning bushes are also turning red:

And there are acorns... EVERYWHERE!

Colorful Mini Peppers

 Our favorite thing in the fridge this week is these tiny colorful (and tasty) peppers we found at the grocery store:

Green bell peppers are always around, but I love these little red, yellow and orange ones. So far, we've eaten them sliced in rings and dipped in ranch dressing, diced in salads, chopped up in egg salad, and stir-fried along with a bag of frozen veggie mix. So delicious! Read a little more about peppers here at The City Cook.

Cooking With Pumpkin

We stocked up on canned of pumpkin, too, as we always do this time of year. One of my favorite recipes for fall is Pumpkin Stuffed Shells, which I'll share later this month.

While browsing the Williams-Sonoma store in Colonial Williamsburg last weekend, my husband picked up a little $12 bag of pumpkin spice bread mix and asked, "why don't you get us this? We love pumpkin bread." Well, I love it, too, but I'm not paying that much for it! I think you even had to add some ingredients. So I promised to make some from one of my tried-and-true recipes as soon as I had a chance to buy some pumpkin. Now I have the pumpkin, so I have to make good on my promise. Stay tuned for an upcoming recipe.

Also, a jar of Pumpkin Parmesan Pasta Sauce caught my eye. I was the only one who thought it sounded good, but I thought $16.95 for a pint of sauce was a little steep. So I'm standing there reading the label, trying to figure out how to make some myself. Steve, in typical Steve-fashion, expressed his opinion that I would never be able to duplicate it, so I might as well just buy it. In typical me-fashion, I took that as "permission" to spend $16.95 on a jar of pasta sauce, and rationalized that once I tasted it, and had the ingredient list on the back of the jar, I could make a reasonable facsimile and eat it all the time for just a fraction of that cost. So now I'm kind of committed to coming up with a recipe for my own Pumpkin Parmesan Pasta Sauce. That is, if it actually tastes good... but how could it not... pumpkin... parmesan... pasta... sauce. Everything yummy all rolled into one jar! Plus, there's a lot of alliteration in it, which always makes my tongue tickle! You'll be among the first to know how it turns out. Wish me luck!