Harvest of the Month: Pumpkin

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Start them young: Sydney Medeiros and Corbin Garfinkle got familiar with pumpkins at First Light Child Development Center. — Photo courtey of Emily Duncker

In November, Island Grown Schools celebrates pumpkins as the Harvest of the Month. Full of Vitamin A and Vitamin C, try these sweet, orange fruits in a variety of ways, from soup to pie.

On Martha’s Vineyard, pumpkins ripen in late September, and they are widely available at farm stands and the West Tisbury Winter Farmers Market, coming up this Saturday from 10 am to 1 pm at the Ag Hall.

Consider roasting, mashing, and freezing pre-measured packages of pumpkin to be used in soups, breads, and pies throughout the winter. Due to their thick skins, pumpkins are also great for storing, in a cool, dry place through the winter months.

Don’t throw away those seeds when you are cleaning out your squash or pumpkin. Try this quick and easy recipe, a great way to involve your kids in the kitchen.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients:
1 pumpkin’s worth of seeds
1 tsp. oil
Salt

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 F.

Kids: scoop seeds out of the pumpkin.

Kids: wash seeds really well in a strainer.

Together: dry very well.

Drizzle oil on seeds and stir to mix. Sprinkle with salt.

Bake seeds for 10 to 25 minutes or until crispy and lightly brown.