yduJ@edsel.uucp (Judy Anderson) (11/15/87)
CHEESE-SOUP1(SPV) USENET Cookbook CHEESE-SOUP1(SPV)
PUMPKIN CHEESE SOUP
CHEESE-SOUP1 - Cheese soup in a pumpkin shell
This recipe came from the 1983 Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Fes-
tival, and was published in our local newspaper in 1984.
INGREDIENTS (Serves 6)
1 pumpkin (big enough to hold 6-10 servings of soup)
2 Tbsp butter, melted
2 Tbsp butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 large carrots, shredded
2 celery sticks, chopped
4 cups vegetable broth
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3/4 cup light cream
1 cup cheddar or gruyere cheese, grated
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 Tbsp parsley, minced
PROCEDURE
(1) Preheat oven to 375 deg. F. Butter a baking
sheet.
(2) Prepare pumpkin: cut off the top, scoop out seeds,
brush inside with 2 Tbsp melted butter. Replace
top and place pumpkin on baking sheet. Bake 45
mins or until tender when pierced with a fork.
The pumpkin should be a bit droopy but still hold
its shape well.
(3) Meanwhile, melt 2 Tbsp butter in a big saucepan.
Add onion, carrots, celery. Saut' until soft,
about 10 mins. Add broth, garlic, salt, pepper,
and nutmeg. Cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Cool
slightly.
(4) Puree vegetable mixture in 2 or 3 batches in a
blender or food processor. Put back in saucepan;
stir in the cream. Reheat. Add cheese and wine,
heat until cheese melts. Stir frequently after
adding milk to avoid scorching.
(5) Place hot pumpkin on serving platter. Pour in
soup. Sprinkle with parsley.
NOTES
Serve the soup by ladling out of the pumpkin at the table,
scopping a little bit of pumpkin into each serving. The
pumpkin then makes a great centerpiece for your table, while
allowing people to have second helpings.
I use half greyere and half cheddar. Shred the cheeses very
finely so they will melt rapidly.
After the soup is all gone, the pumpkin can be cut up,
washed, and used in pumpkin pie. It may need more baking to
become soft enough to puree for the pies.
It was impossible to find pumpkins after Halloween near San
Francisco, but fortunately they keep for a month until
Thanksgiving in a cool area if left uncut.
In North America, light cream is often called "half and
half".
RATING
Difficulty: moderate. Time: 1 hour. Precision: approximate
measurement OK.
CONTRIBUTOR
Judy Anderson
Lucid, Inc., Menlo Park, California, USA
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