Pumpkin season is upon us and I wanted to create something seasonal and special, with a modern and unique twist. I love the simple idea of whipping cheese to a creamy spread and topping it deliciously, like my Whipped Feta with Za’atar Roasted Tomatoes. Here I’ve given it a perfect seasonal touch, salty, tangy feta blended with earthy pumpkin. The burnt umber color looks lovely on the autumnal table, perfect for Halloween or Thanksgiving. Its great spread on lightly toasted baguette bites or scooped up with pillowy pita or naan.
But this is really two recipes in one, the lovely pumpkin feta and the zippy dukkah. The whipped pumpkin feta is beautifully simple, with only a few ingredients, so the topping really does matter. I’ve added my favorite here, the toasted spice and nut mix dukkah – my version being one I learned in South Africa. But please feel free to use your imagination. Some spice shops sell prepared dukkah, or you could use chopped toasted mixed nuts. Harissa or chili crisp would be delicious, or a sage brown butter and hazelnuts instead of olive oil. Or hot honey with toasted pumpkin seeds. Get creative.
Then there is the dukkah. In an airtight container it will last a week or more. I first had dukkah served with crusty bread with one little bowl of olive oil and one of dukkah for dipping and I still love it that way. But it is fantastic on hummus, or sprinkled over avocado toast or on a bagel with cream cheese. Sprinkle over focaccia or bread dough before baking. Add it to a salad for some crunch or sprinkle it on a chicken breast before cooking. It is very useful.
Ingredients
- For the Pumpkin Feta
8 ounce block feta cheese
¼ cup whole Greek yogurt
1 cup 100% pumpkin puree
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the top
- For the Dukkah
2 ½ Tablespoons white sesame seed
1 ½ teaspoons coriander seeds
1 ½ teaspoons cumin seeds
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons slivered almonds
2 Tablespoons unsalted cashews
Directions
- For the Pumpkin Feta
- Pat the feta as dry as you can with paper towels, then crumble into a large food processor. I find the big machine is better than a mini so there is plenty of room for everything to whip. Pulse several times to break up the feta, then add the yogurt and beat for about a minute to combine. Add the pumpkin, honey and 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and beat until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl, adding the rest of the olive oil if needed to make it smooth and creamy. Dollop the pumpkin feta onto a plate, then use the back of a spoon to spread it into an even, thick layer. Use the back of the spoon to create a little channel in the spread for the olive oil to pool. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, but overnight is fine.
- For the Dukkah
- Put the sesame seeds, coriander and cumin seeds in a small dry skillet over medium high heat and toast until toasty brown and they smell nice and nuttily fragrant. A few seeds may start to pop. Transfer to a small food processor or spice grinder. If your almonds and cashews are raw, toast them in the skillet just until lightly browned, then add to the food processor. Leave everything to cool completely, then pulse to a powder – you do not want a paste, but try to avoid large chunks. The dukkah can be stored for 2 weeks in an airtight jar.
- When ready to serve, take the pumpkin feta from the fridge and leave it out for about 15 minutes for some of the chill to come off. Drizzle olive oil in the channel you made and sprinkle over the dukkah.
- Serve with toasted thick pita, naan or baguette slices
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