May is a peculiar time. Veggies have started to hit their stride, but there is still the occasional shade of winter. I usually end up making squash two or three times (with globalization you can actually get quite fresh ones this time of year), and have always been at a bit of a loss with the seeds. After some experimentation I figured it out. Boiled, baked, and spiced, they are an irresistible snack, and a great way to use everything up and add crunch to other dishes.
In a medium saucepot add the seeds, about a tablespoon of salt, and water to cover. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 10-15 minutes (depending on the size of the seeds and if you're starting from frozen or not).
Drain and toss the hot seeds with Vadouvan N28 (I usually start with about 2-3 teaspoons per each squash worth of seeds) and olive oil to thoroughly coat, then spread them in a single layer on the sheet pan. Vadouvan is mild enough that you can use quite a bit, and the onion in it rehydrates and then crisps and browns nicely.
Bake on the top rack until the seeds are brown and crispy. I usually check them every 5 minutes or so and give them a stir.
Remove to cool and store at room temperature for 4-5 days (though you will likely have eaten them all well before then). If it's particularly humid out store them in a sealed container once they have fully cooled.
Recipe Note
Variations & Ideas
• I love adding these to trail and snack mixes, and adding thinner skinned ones whole to fresh spring salads or using them to top guacamole.
• You can definitely use different spices. Some that I've found work particularly well are: Lula N41, Amba, Ararat N35, and Ana N36. You can roast other things at the same time to to make the most use of your oven, like cooked chickpeas, just start them a bit earlier. I find chickpeas take about 30 minutes to be done and closer to 45 to be very crispy.
• I like spicing them with Massalis and then using them as a savory accent in giuggiulena. The light curry flavor is amazing with the sesame and Apollonia.
