Please Pass The Pumpkin!

Yesterday I posted about having a green Halloween and not using plastic pumpkins...and the real ones are so much more fun, aren't they?

But what to do with it after Halloween is over, besides relegate it to the compost heap?

Here's a fantastic pumpkin salad recipe from Heidi at 101 Cookbooks! Enjoy!
I am reprinting her photo here.

Roasted Pumpkin Salad Recipe

I know many people have an aversion to cilantro - feel free to leave it out. This will change the personality and flavor profile of the dressing, but it will still taste delicious.

3 cups of pumpkin (or other winter squash), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
extra-virgin olive oi
fine grain sea salt

12 tiny red onions or shallots, peeled (OR 3 medium red onions peeled and quartered)
2 cups cooked wild rice*

1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons warm water
1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 375.
Toss the pumpkin in a generous splash of olive oil along with a couple pinches of salt, and turn out onto a baking sheet. At the same time, toss the onions with a bit of olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and turn out onto a separate baking sheet. Roast both for about 45 minutes, or until squash is brown and caramelized. The same goes for the onions, they should be deeply colored, caramelized, and soft throughout by the time they are done roasting. You'll need to flip both the squash and onion pieces once or twice along the way - so it's not just one side that is browning.

In the meantime, make the dressing. With a hand blender or food processor puree the sunflower seeds, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and honey until creamy. You may need to add a few tablespoons of warm water to thin the dressing a bit. Sit in the cilantro, saving just a bit to garnish the final plate later. Taste and adjust seasonings (or flavors) to your liking - I usually need to add a touch more salt with this dressing.

In a large bowl, toss the wild rice with a large dollop of the dressing. Add the onions, gently toss just once or twice. Turn the rice and onions out onto a platter and top with the roasted squash (I'll very gently toss with my hands here to disperse the pumpkin a bit). Finish with another drizzle of dressing and any remaining chopped cilantro.

Serves 4.

* To cook wild rice: Rinse 1 1/2 cups wild rice. In a medium sauce pan bring the rice and 4 1/2 cups salted water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Cook for 40 minutes or until rice is tender and splitting open, stirring occasionally. You'll have enough for this recipe and some leftover.

Have a Green Halloween!

One of my favorite childhood memories is of Halloween. I loved making my own costumes (my favorite was being a gypsy because I got to layer on lots of beads and bracelets that my father brought me from Mardi Gras, plus put on a little makeup!).

I gathered my loot in a paper grocery sack or pillow case, then at the end of the night dumped it all on the living room rug to sort through my treasures. I was very excited if I got Hershey miniatures, and not so excited if I got the black and orange wax-paper wrapped peanut butter kisses :(

My highest prized treats, though, were either homemade popcorn balls, or a big juicy red apple!

As an adult, I love passing out candy to the kids...I even dressed up, too. But with more Halloween festivities taking place at churches and school, and even malls, I haven't had any trick or treaters in years :(

Halloween sure has changed since the 60s. Wal-Mart and other stores are filled with ready-made costumes, even for infants. And all the plastic pumpkins! Geez...not to mention plastic bats, crows, witches, scarecrows, spiders and more.

If you're like me and longing for a simpler--and greener--Halloween, Woman's World magazine offers some great tips:

1. Free costumes!!! Make your own from stuff you already have around the house, or host a costme swap party where you bring your kids' old costumes and trade them for costumes that are new to you!

2. Pass on the plastic pumpkins...Woman's World says the hottest green trend this Halloween are eco-freindly canvas bags and pillowcases for hauling home the loot.

3. Got leftover empty cookie wrappers from all those school and church Halloween parties? Sign up at terracycle.net, send in the wrappers for free, and receive up to 5 cents in donated funds for your favorite school or charity. The empty wrappers get turned into tote bags, bulletin boards, and even plant food.

4. Buy candy in bulk to save on packaging.

One tip WW didn't add was to carve a real pumpkin, and then add the "innards" to your compost pile. Hmmm...I bet if you saved those seeds, next year you could have a backyard pumpkin patch of your own.

So...have a safe, green Halloween and send any extra Hershey miniatures my way!