October is upon us. I know because my Instagram feed is full of decorative gourds and pumpkin spice lattes.

But as much as Americans truly love pumpkin, we are sometimes guilty of typecasting this nutritious vegetable as sweet and forget that pumpkin has a savory side, too. Happily, Sephardic cuisine abounds with savory pumpkin dishes to remind us of this fall vegetable’s versatility. My favorite of these is chershi karaa, a tangy, spicy pumpkin spread created by Libyan Jews and now a favorite among Israelis.

Chershi (sometimes spelled chirshi or tershi) are spicy, highly flavored condiments or dips that are typically served as part of mezze, the spread of hot and cold dishes that precede the main meal in the Middle East and North Africa. Pumpkin chershi is among the most famous. 

I first learned about pumpkin chershi when I attended an event hosted by the Israeli Consulate in Chicago. The event featured leading Israeli food personality Gil Hovav making some traditional Sephardic dishes from his childhood, one of which was pumpkin chershi. One taste of Hovav’s savory, spicy chershi and I was hooked.

As is often the case in Jewish cuisine, there are many ways to make pumpkin chershi. In his dish, for example, Hovav mixes pumpkin with carrot and potato. Others use only pumpkin. But everyone seems to agree that chershi karaa should be spicy and tangy, with lots of garlic and lemon juice.

One of the best things about pumpkin chershi is how easy it is to make. Using canned pumpkin puree, this recipe comes together in a few minutes. The only ingredient you might not have on hand is the harissa, but these days it’s easy to find at the grocery store. (Hovav argues that powdered caraway seed is essential to chershi, but I have seen plenty of recipes without it, and since few Americans have this spice in their pantries, I omitted it.)

My goal with this pumpkin chershi recipe was to create a nice balance of sweetness, heat and acid. I guarantee that it will change how you think about pumpkin.

How best to eat it?

Chershi makes a fantastic dip alongside some warm pita with a dollop of cool yogurt on top. But don’t stop there. Chershi also works as a sandwich spread, and it has traditionally been eaten as a garnish for couscous.

This fall, take a break from pumpkin bread and pumpkin spice lattes and make something new and especially Jewish with pumpkin.

Emily Paster writes the widely admired blog West of the Loop, primarily about food but with forays into parenting and family life. She is the co-founder of the Chicago Food Swap and is a national leader in the growing food swap movement (community get-togethers where handmade foods are bartered and exchanged). She is the author of the book “Food Swap.” [Storey 2016].

The Nosher food blog offers a dazzling array of new and classic Jewish recipes and food news, from Europe to Yemen, from challah to shakshuka and beyond. Check it out at www.TheNosher.com.

Recipe: Libyan Jewish Pumpkin Spread

Note: The spread will keep in the refrigerator for a week.

Ingredients: 

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin   olive oil
• 7 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• 2 cups pumpkin puree   (canned or homemade)
• 3 tablespoons harissa
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Juice of one lemon

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, cumin, paprika and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and stir to combine. Cook just until garlic begins to turn golden. 

2. Add pumpkin, harissa and honey; stir to combine. Cook gently, just until pumpkin is warmed through.

 3. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning. Dip should be tangy and spicy. Serve with Greek yogurt and warmed pita, or as a garnish for couscous. Serves 6-8.