Conserve the gourd

As it's the 31st of October, this will be my final post for the third annual Vegan Mofo: Vegan Month of Food. Today also happens to be Halloween, and I'm obviously not a sculptor. But a pumpkin makes for good eating, uncarved.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

For me, maybe the best part of the pumpkin is the seeds.

Remove the stringy strands, and rinse the seeds under fresh water. Drain and allow to dry.


Toss the seeds with a teaspoon or so of olive oil, a dash of Kosher salt, a small grind of black pepper, and a 'scary' dash each of garlic and cayenne powder. At 350 °F, bake the seeds for 20 minutes. Increase the temperature to 425 °F and cook for 5 more minutes, until the seeds only begin to brown...no more! Remove and cool. Add additional salt or seasoning, if needed, to taste.Allow to cool.

Pumpkin 'Ghoul'ash

Scoop out the 'meat' from the inside of the pumpkin. Clean and cube. Steam in 10 ounces of light lager (NOT an IPA or other hoppy beer) for 20 minutes. Purée the pumpkin and place aside.

Sauté a few tablespoons of tomato paste in olive oil over medium heat until fragrant. Lower heat slightly and add diced onions, diced green peppers, and chopped garlic. Spice with cumin, paprika, s/p, to taste. Add remaining 2 ounces of light lager of beer, if needed, to prevent scorching. Cook until onions are translucent.

Add the pumpkin to the sauté, along with some cooked canned red beans. Reduce heat to low and cook for a few more minutes. Sprinkle with some paprika when plated. Photos: here.

Or ...

• Roast the cubed gourd as you would small 'new' potatoes.
• Bake a vegan pumpkin pie.
• Final step: pour the final Oktoberfest lager beer of the year. Winter brews are a-comin'.

**************
Want more VeganMoFo? Check out these photos on Flickr.