My Favorite Recipe

In the spirit of my favorite season, I love to make my famous "Soup in a Pumpkin." We are coming into my absolute favorite time of year. As soon as I see the pumpkins are out, I make my soup. It is a lot of work, but really fun for everyone. I only make it twice in the fall. And since I already made it once, you will have to fight for your chance to taste it in 2009....

A farmer on Saturday was selling all of his pumpkins for $1.00! Well, being that it was not even mid September when I saw that bargain, I told him I would take a few. I told him:

"I make a soup in the pumpkin,"
The farmer said, "I have heard of people doing it."
I said, "It's a lot of work."
The Farmer said "I heard that, too!"

Then I took a photo of his truck as he was loading it up.

Here is the recipe:

(I buy small individual ones, depending on how many people I am making it for) 6 pounds Pumpkin
1 1/2 cups Bread crumbs, fresh dried- I usually take fresh bread and break into pieces, bake at 350 for 15 mins. Then you have homemade bread crumbs!
2 cups Onions; chopped
1/2 cup Butter
1 1/2 cup Cheese,
mozzarella or Swiss, grated
2 quarts Vegetable stock
Salt & pepper1/2 teaspoon Sage (or more)
1 cup Cream, heavy OR1 cup Half and Half - (I leave this out a lot!)

Crush bread crumbs. Saute onions in butter until soft but not browned. Stir crumbs into the hot onion mixture and cook slowly for 3 minutes. Cut a top off pumpkin, scoop out seeds, rub inside with soft butter. Turn the crumb mix into the pumpkin. Stir in grated mozzarella or Swiss cheese and fill to within 2 inches of top with hot vegetable stock (about 2 qt). Season with salt, pepper and sage. Bake on a pizza pan in preheated 400 degree oven for about 1 1/2 hours or until pumpkin flesh can be flaked off with large cooking fork. Do not overcook as pumpkin will collapse. Keep warm until ready to serve. Just before serving, gently stir in hot cream or half and half, and a handful of chopped fresh parsley (optional). Serve everyone their individual pumpkin. Scrape the flesh into your soup and enjoy!

Great with red wine and a salad. This is all you need. It is VERY filling! This is a wonderful fall meal.