Pumpkin Soup in the Pumpkin

In response to all your requests, 
here's the recipe for "Whole Pumpkin Pie Soup" 
(featured in the post "Welcome to My Kitchen).

  (And following this is another fall favorite of mine, 
a recipe for "Roasted Whole Baby Pumpkins")

Prep time:  15 mintues
Cook time:  2 hours
Serves:  4-6 servings

Ingredients:

1 whole baking pumpkin, approximately 4 pounds, rinsed

2 t vegetable oil

1 T unsalted butter

1/2 small yellow onion, diced

1 t kosher salt

1 cove garlic, minced

1 small apple, peeled, cored, and diced

1 C low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 C heavy cream

2 oz goat cheese (or some other wonderful cheese that you love!)

1 t fresh thyme leaves

Directions:

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F

Make a lid on the top of the pumpkin by cutting around the stem at a 45 degree angle.  Make sure the opening is large enough to work within.  Remove the seeds and fibers with a metal spoon or ice cream scoop and kitchen shears.  Brush the exterior of the pumpkin and the lid with vegetable oil.  Oil a round casserole dish large enough to hold the pumpkin and place the pumpkin inside.

Combine the butter, onion, salt, garlic, apple, chicken broth, and heavy cream in the hollow pumpkin.  Replace the lid of the pumpkin to cover.  Bake for 1 1/2 hours.

Remove the lid.  Add the goat (or whatever) cheese and thyme and bake an additional 30 minutes, uncovered.  Remove the pumpkin from the oven, and gently scrape some of the flesh into the soup mixture.  Puree with an immersion blender to desired consistency, being careful to avoid the sides and bottom of the pumpkin.  Serve immediately.

My notes:  This was really delicious, but if I were to make it again I would make a few changes.   It was not "pumpkin-y" enough for me.  As I'm looking at my leftover canned pumpkin from making pumpkin rolls, I'm thinking "Yes!  I should have put that in my soup"!   Next time I would add some canned pumpkin.

Second, the goat cheese is really really sharp, really tart.   This is delicious, but might not be your cup of pumpkin tea.   So I would recommend using whatever cheese you love, be it feta or cream cheese or smoked Gouda......whatever!

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Here's another version that I have enjoyed over the years at the Vintage Press Restaurant in Visalia, California.  It is only served during the fall season, and they are famous for these little guys!
 

It's exquisite and elegant!

 Chef David Cooks Up Roasted Baby Pumpkins

Posted: Nov 12, 2007 6:46 PM MST

Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away.....are you ready?

For those still looking for the perfect Thanksgiving recipe, look no further than Tuesday's Great Day when Chef David Vartanian cooked up Roasted Baby Pumpkins with a lemon butter sauce.
You can catch Vartanian daily at the Vintage Press Restaurant in Visalia. The Vintage Press restaurant is located at  216 North Willis Street, Visalia, California 93291. You can call for reservations at: 559-733-3033. You can also check them out on their website at TheVintagePress.com 


 Here's the recipe for those who wish to try it at home:
Roasted Whole Baby Pumpkins
6 baby pumpkins
4 ounces jarlsburg cheese
8 ounce smoked chicken, diced
2 tablespoons hot chili sauce
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
6 ounces heavy cream
1 tablespoon chives
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Place pumpkins whole into a baking pan, cover with foil and bake in a 325 degree oven for 45 minutes or until the pumpkins are soft.
Using a sharp knife remove the tops of the pumpkin, discard the seeds and season thee inside of the pumpkins with salt and pepper. Heat the butter in a saute pan and cook the onion over medium heat until soft. In a bowl combine the smoked chicken, jarlsburg cheese, cooked onion and chive. Mix well and then season with salt.
Pepper and chili sauce to taste. Fill the pumpkin with the smoked chicken mixture and pour into one ounce of heavy cream into each pumpkin. Place the tops back onto each pumpkin, cover with aluminum foil and roast the pumpkins in a 350F oven for 15-20 minutes. To serve, place one ounce of lemon butter sauce on each of the warm plates and place a pumpkin on each plate. Serves six as first course.
Lemon Butter Sauce
2 shallots, diced
1 cup wine
1 ounce champagne vinegar
2 ounces heavy cream
6 ounces sweet butter
juice of one lemon
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon chives
Combine the shallots, wine and vinegar in a sauce pan. Bring to a simmer and reduce by on half. Add the heavy cream and reduce again. Over low heat whisk in the sweet butter piece by piece. Season with the salt, pepper and lemon juice. Add the chives just before serving. 

Bon Apetite!   Let me know what you think!