I fondly remember the Sunday afternoons I spent helping my father in the management of a small bar of a sports association in my country.

The bar was under the grandstand of a football field and was open during the matches of the team which I believe was category I at the time.

Thinking about it now, you couldn't really call it a bar, we heated pizzas in the oven, made coffee with waffles in plastic cups, and sold drinks.

All to raise funds for the sports club.

Mine was not a great contribution, I ate more than anything else. I had a choice of salted peanuts, mini pizzas in plastic packages that could last decades, and pumpkin seeds in small plastic packages.

It warms my heart when I think back to when my father jumped over the counter from the window where we served the food and ran towards the pitch screaming and holding on to the net because our team had scored in a much-felt derby.

A few days later he went to his doctor to ask for "drops" which would keep him calm during matches because he feared he might have a heart attack!

The pumpkin seeds I ate are then found in this salad along with red and variegated radicchio, tomato, walnuts and sesame seeds.

I dress my salads with an emulsion of lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil, to which I sometimes add powdered ginger, garlic powder and pepper. If you wish, you can add a pinch of salt.

Pumpkin seeds are rich in minerals such as zinc, magnesium, selenium and phosphorus. They also have a high content of vitamin E and have deworming properties.