Of all the vegetables Chayne grows in the garden. her favourite is the pumpkin. In fact she enjoys growing them so much that she'd like to do it for a living - a bit like the late Ralph Upton, King of The Pumpkin World who grew 50 varieties in his garden. Pity then that she doesn't enjoy eating them quite as much as she does growing them! She only really likes pumpkin in a sweet pie or her own lovely extra thick spicy soup. It really is extra thick too. In fact, it's so comfortingly gloopy it has been compared (by me!) to baby food. Although, from what I've read about babies from the various books I've read in preparation for fatherhood, it wouldn't be advisable to feed this to a little one. It's a bit hot!
Ingredients
1 small pumpkin (about 500g)
2 cooked medium-sized floury potatoes
2 parsnips
2 red chillies, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Large pinch of chilli flakes
1/2 pint vegetable stock
Olive oil
recipe
1) Heat the oven to 200c. Peel the pumpkin and chop it into large chunks. Peel and chop the parsnips to the same size as the pumpkin. Sprinkle with chill flakes and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 25 minutes or until soft. Don't worry if the edges brown - this just adds to the flavour.
2) Meanwhile peel two medium sized floury potatoes (we use Maris Pipers), cut them into quarters and boil for 10-15 minutes until cooked.
3) When the pumpkin, parsnip and potato is cooked, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large saucepan and fry the onions for five minutes. Then add the chillies and continue cooking for two minutes before adding the garlic and giving it a quick stir around for another minute. Next add the cooked pumpkin, potato and parsnip to the pan with the vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Take the pan off the heat and liquidise the soup in either a food processor, blender or, even better, in the pan using one of those stick blenders. Return to the heat to warm through and serve.
I have a pumpkin soup recipe too! cribbed from mr tom aikens
ReplyDelete1. Pumpkin into 1cm cubes. melt butter (80g), add pumpkin with 6 sage leaves, salt, 85g clear honey and sage leaves chopped, also lemon.
2. cook for 10mins on low heat, stirring now and then.
3. add 1litre stock (i use chicken but perhaps not for you, eh?!), 130ml double cream, simmer slowly for 5mins
4. then blender action to make to smooth. tom a suggests passing through sieve but i've never had to do it.
it's very rich, but ace. I had it in the freezer for ages.
Yes, my brother has made that and told me that it is very rich. I like a pumpkin and sage risotto myself but my wife isn't keen on rice!
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