Roasted pumpkin seeds - Semi di zucca tostati - Pečene sjemenke buče

Pumpkins are finally all around in the market and it means eating baked pumpkins, boiled pumpkins, braised pumpkins and all possible sweet and savoury, old and new pumpkin dishes. I simply adore pumpkins and dish after dish I've learned how to use it in many ways.

When I was a child I didn't eat pumpkin at all, I didn't like its sweet flavour and I couldn't imagine a savoury dish can be prepared with the sweet vegetable. I remember large fields full of big orange fruits laying idly on the ground and waiting to be piled un in the courtyard. I guess pigs were enjoying the view of piles of orange and crispy fruits, but I was always a bit negative. I liked the colour, the shape and the big size was so amazing to me, but I didn't like the taste of it. The pumpkin was only good to get the roasted seeds to be munched during long winter months...but nothing more, I was strict at that time....then things changed. And changes brought new experiences!

So I started to cook and to experiment all kind of culinary combinations and then I found the sense of the sweet-in-savoury dishes. I embraced pumpkins, let's say it was an inspiring change in my culinary evolution.

To be loyal to my cooking philosophy, I'd like to introduce this year pumpkin season with simple and very basic no-waste idea. Nowadays there are many varieties of pumpkin in the market, not just the big, orange ones that I remember. The best one for me is the green Japanese pumpkin, Kabocha and its seeds are also the best to get your home-made roasted seeds.

ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS

Wash accurately one kabocha pumpkin, cut it in half, extract all seeds and remove fibres (no need to wash them). Arrange the pumpkin (cut side up) and seeds in the baking tray and bake in preheated oven at 200°C. After 10-15 minutes taste if the seeds are baked and take them out from the baking pan. Cover the pumpkin with aluminium sheet and continue baking it for another 30 minutes. Allow the pumpkin to cool down, eliminate the green rind and put the pulp aside for an new recipe. Store in refrigerator for few days, or deep-freeze it.

SEMI DI ZUCCA TOSTATI

Lavare accuratamente una zucca kabocha, tagliarla a metà, estrarre tutti i semi e rimuovere i filamenti (non è necessario lavarli). Sistemare la zucca (con la parte del taglio verso l'alto) e i semi nella teglia e cuocere nel forno preriscaldato a 200°C. Dopo 10-15 minuti assaggiare se i semi sono cotti e tirarli fuori dal forno. Coprire la zucca con un foglio di alluminio e continuare la cottura per altri 30 minuti. Far raffreddare la zucca, eliminare la buccia verde e conservare la polpa per una nuova ricetta. Tenere la polpa nel frigorifero per qualche giorno, oppure congelarla.

PEČENE SJEMENKE BUČE

Dobro oprati jednu cijelu kabocha buču, prerezati ju na pola, izvaditi sve sjemenke i odstraniti vlakna (nije potrebno oprati sjemenke). Staviti buču (prerezana strana okrenuta prema gore) i sjemenke u tepsiju e peći u zagrijanoj pećnici na 200°C. Nakon 10-15 minuta treba probati sjemenke i ako su pečene izvaditi ih iz pećnice. Pokriti buču aluminijskom folijom i nastaviti peći još 30 minuta. Ostaviti da se ohladi, odstraniti zelenu koru i spremiti pulpu za nove recepte. Čuvati u hladnjaku nekoliko dana ili zalediti.