Edible Paradise

After you carve the jack o'lantern, don't toss out the seeds! Instead, toast them to golden perfection and sprinkle with a little salt for a tasty, healthy snack.

INGREDIENTS:

One medium sized pumpkin
Salt
Olive oil

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Cut open the pumpkin. With a strong metal spoon, scoop out the insides. Separate the seeds from the stringy core and rinse seeds with warm water.

Fill a small sauce pan with water, using about 2 cups of water for every half cup of seeds. Add a half-tablespoon of salt for every cup of water (more if you like your seeds saltier). Add the seeds to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and drain.

Spread about a tablespoon of olive oil over the bottom of a shallow roasting pan. Spread the seeds in an even layer in the roasting pan.

Bake on the top rack of oven until the seeds begin to brown, about 10-20 minutes. When toasted to your satisfaction, remove pan from the oven and set pan on a rack to cool. Let the seeds cool completely before eating.

Toasted seeds can be eaten whole, or cracked for the inner seed. The "inside" seed is called a pepita.

Enjoy as a healthy snack, or use pumpkin seeds to garnish soups, add to salads, or mix in with your favorite granola. They also great to added baked goods, such as muffins or quick breads.

VARIATIONS:

• Add a few drops of Worcesterschire to seeds before roasting.
• After roasting, while seeds are still warm, sprinkle very lightly with cinnamon sugar with a pinch of cayenne and toss to coat.