Pumpkin Soup (based on Valentine Warner's recipe - with a couple of adaptions)

We had a Halloween evening round my friend Anna's a couple of weeks ago and after the pumpkin competition there was a pumpkin left over which I was allowed to take home. I had seen this Valentine Warner recipe for Pumpkin Soup a week or so before on Saturday Kitchen and had been meaning to try it since. Made a couple of changes to the original recipe - but it was/is so yummy!

Here's how I did it:

Ingredients

• 1 x 4kg/8lb 13oz pumpkin
• 125g/4oz butter
• 2 medium onions, peeled, finely chopped
• 1 cinnamon stick (or ground cinnamon)
• freshly grated nutmeg (or ground nutmeg)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1.7 litres/3 pints chicken stock (vegetarians may substitute vegetable stock) - adapt this depending on how big your pumpkin is, I used an average tupperware container or pre made chicken stock, but did add an extra bit of boiling water and a vegetable stock cube later on. 
• 3 tablespoons sherry (or port or wine - whatever you have handy)
  
  
  organic vegetable stock cube
  
  
  good splash of milk (optional)

Preparation method

1. Cut the top off the pumpkin and set aside. Scoop out the seeds and fibres from the middle, save seeds (as there are so many things you can do with them, not least grow more pumpkins!) 
2. Peel then dice the whole of the pumpkin.
3. Melt the butter in a large pan with a lid over a low heat and add the onions. Cook the onions gently for 10-15 minutes, until they are softened and golden-brown.
4. Add the pumpkin flesh, the cinnamon and nutmeg, and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Increase the heat to medium and cover with the lid. Cook for 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the base from burning, until the pumpkin is cooked through.
5. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Transfer the soup to a food processor in batches and blend until smooth or use electric hand blender, I did this and found it easier as it meant I didn't have to remove from the pan, nice and easy.
6. Return the soup to the pan (if you did choose to remove it) and bring to a low simmer and cook for a further half an hour. 
7. Add sherry (or port or wine) and about another 100 to 200ml of boiling water and an organic vegetable stock cube. I did this second part after taste testing and deciding to change the recipe to suit a little bit as a result. It's so easy to cook without testing but if you do you will really learn what flavours you like and what seasoning you like and in my opinion become a better cook as a result - so give it a go! 
8. Serve and enjoy! - (this soup also works very well reheated). Also if you want to bulk it up a little add some milk to give it a really lovely creamy texture. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Italian cookery course (Birthday present from my Mummy)

It's taken me ages to post these pictures. My Mum got me a fabulous birthday gift this year of going to a local cookery school (Inspired Gourmet) and doing an Italian cookery course. 

The evening consisted of cooking a three course, pretty elaborate, meal from scratch, learning lots of new skills along the way and then sitting in their lovely dining area to tuck in.

For Starters we did: Scallops wrapped in bacon and basil

For Mains we did: Pork fillet topped with balsamic onions and fennel gratin  

For Desert we did: Peppered Strawberries with Italian Vanilla Custard

We had so much fun as you can see from the photos below. Inspired Gourmet do all sorts of different courses and I would definitely go back to do another course, given the opportunity. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience, as did Mum...