Beans in Pumpkin Seed Cream, Courtesy of Weinhof Wieninger's Chef Mike

If you're following along at home, you may recall that in my post describing my wine-soaked visit to the Wieninger Heuriger in Vienna,  I promised to share one of the recipes that Chef Mike generously gave me. You remember Chef Mike (Miriam, this gratuitous shot is for you):

Now, you might think that "pumpkin seed cream" sounds a little heavy,  but this dish is actually quite light. (In fact, even his baked gnocchi in pumpkin cream is much lighter than you would think it would be, thanks to a little secret he divulged to me. But that's another post!)



The unique flavors of this dish - a combination of sourness and heat and toasty nuttiness - would really jazz up the usual tired, pedestrian line-up of mayo-based salads that you tend to find at every summer barbecue.  It's simplicity itself, and it all hinges on one thing: high-quality toasted pumpkin seed oil, which, as it turns out, is an Austrian specialty:



It's the oil that gives the cream that fresh, light green color, and imparts (when used in moderation) a beautiful umami undertone and "Oh yum, what is that?" flavor. Chef Mike didn't write down the amounts, as this is usually made in large batches - he said to just taste it.  Which I did. And .... mmmmm.