Pumpkin Tahini

I served pumpkin tahini at my writers' group last night, and they demolished it. Clifford Wright inspired the dish, which is a relative of Baba Ghanoush (roasted eggplant with tahini). The difference is, Wright's recipe begins with "cook a five pound pumpkin"....

Update - can size corrected - I checked the label.

Pumpkin Tahini

29 oz. can of plain pumpkin puree
3 tablespoons tahini
1 large clove garlic, pounded in a mortar with salt
1-2 lemons, juiced.

Olive oil
Cumin seed, ground fresh (okay I used powdered, not fresh ground) - optional
Pomegranate seeds (optional)
Parsley, chopped (optional)

Combine first four ingredients, salt to taste. You could whisk or pound by hand; I used the food processor to get it completely blended. Start with one lemon, taste, and add to balance flavors. Garnish with cumin and/or pomegranate seeds, chopped parsley, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Of course you could cook your pumpkin or butternut squash from scratch. Peel and dice, cook in water, drain thoroughly, puree. You'll have to figure out the proportions of tahini and lemon juice for yourself.

Comments

[Alison Chaiken]

Wow, sounds great! Thanks for such a seasonal recipe. I'll definitely try it out.