Cream of Pumpkin Soup | In Search of Matisse' Green Pumpkin

It’s autumn! Just in case you haven’t noticed the chill in the air..and a bowl of warm soup make a wonderful dinner companion on a brisk Fall evening. Inspired by Henri Matisse Green Pumpkin…a recipe that combines two of my favorite ‘good for you’ ingredients- fresh pumpkin and mushrooms. .. now as for that green pumpkin..still looking for one
I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself than to be crowded on a velvet cushion
Henry David Thoreau
Cream of Pumpkin Soup
1 lb of of fresh pumpkin (peeled and seeded and cut into small cubes)
4 ounces of button mushrooms
1/2 cup cream (or substitute fat free half and half)
1 small onion finely chopped
1 scallion finely chopped
1 clove of garlic
2 tsps of freshly chopped parsley
1 bouillion cube
2 tblsps pine nuts
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Finely chop onion and scallion. Clean mushrooms and cut into large pieces, removing stems. Cut pumpkin into cubes..
Place in 2 tblsps olive oil, chopped onion and scallion in saute pan and saute over low heat. When just golden place in pumpkin and saute using a wooden spoon to turn. Add in cream and 1 cup of warm water along with one bouillion cube (crumbled).. cook for 25 minutes.
In another saute pan, place 1 tblsp olive oil and place in mushrooms. Add in chopped parsley and pine nuts. Saute until water from mushrooms has just about evaporated.
When pumpkin is tender, remove from heat and when warm (not too hot) place in food processor or potato masher to make a creamy mixture. If you like your soup steaming hot, place in soup pan for a few minutes till just boiling.Place in bowl and add in mushrooms, stir.Place in individual serving dishes and serve..Grate some fresh black pepper on top.
….And speaking of works of art, I recently got to tour the BlueStar /Prizer Hood factory in Reading Pa…the ranges and hoods are handmade to your specs down to the hand painted buttons….and the ranges cook to true perfection..here are some photos from the visit.

GUVEAWAY CONTEST
Gifts With a Cause.org has lots of gifts that help..and we have a giveaway from the catalog it is a cinnamon box from Vietnam..Like a blog post at Maria Liberati.com with a recipe containing cinnamon and LIKE it and you will be entered into the contest. You can like as many different post you can find that contain recipes with cinnamon or mention of cinnamon in them, The more likes you do the more times you will be entered.. The winner is picked at random from all entries and contest begins today November 12th until December 15th..so let the LIKES begin!!

Get more recipes in the Gourmand World Award Winning Book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays and Special Occasions-2nd edition

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