Harvest Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients
2 small sugar pumpkins, halved, seeds and stringy fibers removed and reserved
6-8 tablespoons butter
3 cups homemade vegetable stock (3 cups water, 1 tomato halved, 1-2 chopped carrots, 1 chopped stalk celery, peel of one potato, 2 bay leaves, sprig of fresh thyme or 1 tbs thyme, lots of salt and a little pepper)
3 cups water
2 turnips, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 potato, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 shallots or 1/2 white onion, minced (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons half-n-half
1 teaspoon packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons coarse salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place pumpkin halves cut sides down, on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until soft, about 50 minutes. Scoop out flesh of one pumpkin and puree in a food processor (you should have about 2 cups). Scoop out flesh of second pumpkin, chop into large pieces, and set aside.
2. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add reserved seeds and fibers from pumpkins and cook for 4 minutes. Add stock and water and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 9-10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, melt remaining 5 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add pumpkin puree, turnips, and potato, and cook for 5 minutes. Add shallots, and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add wine, and cook until liquid has reduced by half.
4. Strain pumpkin-seed mixture, reserving broth and feed solids to your ducks. What? No ducks? Ok, in that case discard the solids. Add broth to pumpkin-wine mixture. Bring to a simmer; cook for 20 minutes. Let cool.
5. Puree in a food processor in small batches until smooth. Heat soup in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in half-n-half, sugar, salt, pepper, and remaining chunks of pumpkin, and serve.
*Adapted slightly from
this Martha Stewart recipe
Good night! 
