Seeds are in my view little gold Nuggets to be treasured either as Food in themselves or as the bringers of another Harvest. Somehow whenever I buy Vegetables or Fruits to eat, I also think of the possibility of growing them in my Garden from their Seeds, Stones, Kernels and Pips. When I am saying Pips, I am also thinking of the character of Charles Dickens in 'Great Expectations'. Because at the end of the day, this is what a seed is in essence: an expectation. It may come to fruition the same or the new following year.

A growing Squash in our Garden. The year was probably 2017 when I tried to grow many different types of Squash from unusual to usual.

For example when you buy a Butternut Squash, it is easy to keep its Seeds. Wash them, dry them and store them until needed. Hoarding Seeds is something which is happening in my Home but it is not something novel whatsoever. It is happening for a very long time and when you want a specific Seed for your Garden, you have Seeds exchange banks... It is also about preservation of Plants for the future:

Seed Vault in Norway 

In essence it is protecting the Ingredients for future meals to come upon the table. It is a scheme to make sure that generations can feed themselve. In simple terms it is just planning forward. If there is a way to keep a Seed to grow them for later there is also a method to preserve them to simply eat them for later.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds. I like to keep a jar of them at Home to use whenever I want as a Snack or upon a Salad. Shelled or deshelled, they are edible. Halloween is the perfect time to make use of your Pumpkin Seeds, to gather them.

Roasting is a way to make the most of your seeds for consumption, for later or for now. Toasted upon a pan releases the aroma of seeds, making them fragrant increasing the scent and the taste however make sure you do not burn them to oblivion. Seeds are full of Flavour, they bring an aromatic feel to a Dish or a Bread.

Toasted, Coriander Seeds are ever so fragrant.

But apart from their obvious flavours, Seeds can give the little bite, the crunch, the texture to a Dish. Let us take Sesame Seeds for example, yes they are small but they do deliver the nuttiness and a little bit of a crunch. Sesame Seeds on a Burger Buns are always or most of the time welcomed (exception being made for nut allergic persons). 

The glorious Hamburger Bun with its sparkle of Sesame Seeds. It doesn't come from Sesame Street, I swear. You will not find a Cookie Monster in the bin either... (Trivia at Cordelia's)

In the same token speaking of Seeds and texture, they can make great crusts for many dishes. Covering a Fish with Seeds is a very nice way to bake the Fish. I mentioned Salads earlier on but Seeds and Nuts are not to be dismissed for them because of their texture. However if we think of bite about Seeds mainly, we do forget about their softness as well when they are germinating, sprouting.

Sprouting Seeds is nutritious, most of them are. But be cautious, learn about it all before doing it but it is worth it. I will advise Beansprouts.

In terms of decoration, but also taste, one seed which is compared as a jewel for its Ruby colour is the Pomegranate Seed. With a tangy tartness to them but also a sweetness, Pomegranate Seeds can be used either in sweet or savoury dishes. Pomegranate Molasses also found their place in my Kitchen for being so delicious.

Pomegranate seeds.

Seeds can be turned into Molasses, Pastes and Oils, their culinary uses are wide. Tahini, this nice paste, for example is made of Sesame Seeds. As for mentioning Oils, Sunflower Oil, Rapeseed Oil are always upon my Kitchen counter. They are what I will say very handy for frying and deep frying because of their subtle Flavours. As for Sesame Oil, it is more suitable to finish the cooking of a Stir Fry to give it a slightly nutty flavour.

Pumpkin Seeds.

Seeds have various culinary uses in different forms but one main thing is the value of the nutrition they can give to someone. This is important.

Mustard Seeds

A Selection of Mustard Seeds

Sesame Seeds

A Selection of Sesame Seeds

Fennel Seeds

A Selection of Fennel Seeds

Cumin Seeds

A Selection of Cumin Seeds

Sunflower Seeds

A Selection of Sunflower Seeds

Pumpkin Seeds

A Selection of Pumpkin Seeds

Linseeds

A Selection of Linseeds