Pepitas and Pumpkin Seeds

I saw my friend the dirt farmer and all around food enthusiast this week. Charles, formerly known as the "King of Pop". He showed me these seeds that live inside these green and orange pumpkins. First I was taken by the crunch, he had toasted them to perfection, then I was delighted by the pumpkins themselves, rounded to a perfect promise, lovely green and orange orbs. And then I learned they come into the world this way, no shell just sensational seed. The pumpkins are called Kakai. I made pies with them that I will blog about soon. He gave me some pumpkins. Here I will show you how to roast the seeds. I thank my friend for many things... on the list I add Kakai  Pumpkin Seeds.

First you cut pumpkins in half and scoop out the seeds.

 Lay them in one layer on a sheet pan. Set the oven to 375.

 Roast for 30 minutes until seeds begin to pop and are dry and somewhat crispy. They will crisp up to a crunch as they cool.

Recipes, Writing and Photos by Karen Pickus 2010
Courtesy Karen Pickus 2010