Roasted Pumpkins

The warm and sweet nature of pumpkin makes it one of the most delightful comfort foods to be enjoyed roasted, steamed and smeared with butter, or blended into soups in the cooler months.

Did you know that pumpkins are not vegetables but fruits? They come in a multitude of shapes, sizes and colours. There are yellow, red, green, white, blue and even multi-coloured striped pumpkins. They can be huge, tiny, flat, short, tall, round, pear-shaped, long-necked, smooth, ribbed and even warty. Pumpkins are amazing for culinary uses. Inside the hard orange or yellow skin, the bright orange flesh is soft, sweet, smooth and honeyed. They are a good source of fiber, as well as providing a range of vitamins and minerals.

Last week when I was doing my shopping, I discovered a stand at the farmers market full of all sorts of pumpkins and I couldn't do but buying them all. They were so bright and colourful that I couldn't resist!

When buying pumpkins, choose the ones that feel heavy for their size with a smooth, firm skin. Shape is not important. An asymmetrical pumpkin is not necessarily a bad pumpkin. They must have 2.5 to 5 cm of stem left. If the stem is cut down too low, the pumpkin will decay quickly or may be decaying at the time of purchase. Avoid pumpkins with flaws and soft spots.

Depending upon the variety, pumpkins have different culinary uses. We love them so much at home that we use them in all sorts of recipes such as this Pumpking & Pecan Squares, or this  Pumpkin & Chickpea Soup, or even this Butternut Squash, Cinnamon and Condensed Milk Pie .

I must admit I was really tempted to repeat this Butternut Squash, Bacon & Marshmallows Pie. A mouth watering dish with an absolutely stunning look that everyone loved.

But this time, instead of using them in soup or cake, we just decided to cut them in halves, season with different blends and roast them carefully. This way, we were able to appreciate the different textures, flavours, colours and decide which one was our favourite.

Share your best pumpkin recipes with us!

WHAT YOU NEED

• A variety of pumpkins and butternut squash
• Seasonings and condiments of your choice including: flaked chilli, pepper, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, rosemary, paprika, garlic, sesame seeds... or anything you can find in your cupboard!
• For better results use Salt Flakes
• Extra virgin olive oil

• Chickpeas and Raisins to garnish

WHAT YOU DO

Preheat your oven to 200C.

Wash and cut your pumpkins in halves.

Scrape out seeds and set aside. We'll show you what to do with them next week!

Arrange the pumpkin halves in an oven rack and season with a selection of condiments. I recommend seasoning each halve with a different condiment so you can taste the difference!

Drizzle some olive oil and bake for 35 mins until pumpkins are golden and tender.

In a small pan, toss the chickpeas and raisins with a little bit of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste,

Fill the pumpkin halves with the chickpea garnish and serve.