Something fun for a change

I looked at the calendar and realized I hadn't blogged in a few weeks. Not only that, but my blogs have, in my opinion, taken on a boring and even depressing note. I'm always sharing my experiences with writing, marketing/promotion, and things of that nature. Wow. You can really get bogged down in that crap. No, I'm not saying that writing and promoting your books is crap. But focusing on it too much is bullshit. You've got to have some fun/relax sometime. It is vital to your sanity. Trust me.

So, I thought I would share a fun recipe. It's no secret that I love fall. Summer in the south is like stepping into your own personal slice of Hell each day. Bleh. I hate it. I also love pumpkins as I'm sure everyone knows who reads my blog. Ha. Ha. Ha.

Today's recipe is pumpkin soup, and it's served in its own little "pumpkin bowls." If you're in a Martha Stewart kind of mood, why not give it a try?

It's not as difficult as it sounds, and looks really impressive when you serve it. :)

Ingredients

• 6 small (6 to 7 inches in diameter) unblemished pumpkins
• 1 medium pumpkin (10 to 11 inches in diameter)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshlyground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced or pureed
• 1 Yukon Gold potato, peeled and diced
• 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup cream, creme fraiche or sour cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare the small pumpkins as though you were making jackolanterns, cutting off and reserving top, scooping out seeds and reserving, but stopping short of carving the face. Set aside. 

Repeat preparation with the medium pumpkin, then cut it into wedges along its natural grooves. Peel each wedge. Cut flesh into 2-inch chunks and set aside.

In a small bowl combine ground spices with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Sprinkle this mixture into pumpkin cavities, dividing evenly. Cut 1 tablespoon butter into bits and divide between pumpkins. Replace pumpkin tops and place pumpkins in a shallow roasting pan. Roast 30 to 40 minutes until tender when pierced with a knife but still intact. Remove from oven and set aside.

While pumpkins are roasting, prepare the soup: Heat remaining butter along with olive oil over medium-high heat in large pot until foamy. Add onions and remaining salt and pepper and cook 5 minutes until softened and begin to color. Add garlic and cook 1 minute to release flavor. Add diced potato, chunked pumpkin flesh and stock and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes until potatoes and pumpkin are completely soft.

Whisk in cream, taste and adjust seasoning and set aside.

Roasted pumpkins and soup should be done at about the same time. To serve, remove tops from pumpkins and use a melon baller to scoop balls of pumpkin flesh, leaving them in their respective pumpkins. Carefully ladle soup into each pumpkin, filling about 2/3 full. Replace pumpkin tops, place each pumpkin on a plate, and serve.

The prep takes about an hour and a half and the cook time on the soup is about forty-five minutes. Totally do-able for a fall get-together. :)