Pleasant Pumpkin Soup
4 C. chicken stock (You can add more if you like but I like my soup thicker)
1 tsp. salt
2 C. to 4 C. cubed fresh pumpkin  (this really is about personal preference whether you want a thinner or thicker soup)
1 teaspoon fresh parsley
1/2 of a chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
add some red pepper and a dash of tabasco sauce
1 TBSP. olive oil

I always put a little olive oil in a pan and cook the garlic and onion and then I add the stock and the other spices fresh from the garden but dried in your pantry is fine too (always adjust seasonings and spices to your family’s taste)

Once everything is cooking and it takes a while for my chicken broth to melt because I store it in the freezer so I wait for things to start getting really hot and blended about 10 to 15 minutes and then I puree it all in the food processor.

Then I cook for another 15 minutes or so over high heat and after that if the rest of your meal is not ready you can hold it on low on a burner.  I do not add the cream until the very end and just long enough for the whole pot of soup to get hot again!

This soup is creamy and delicious!  Enjoy! Serves 4 to 6 people

This is the perfect opportunity for me to share a little bit of history about the pumpkin for example did you know Europeans who were just seeing squashes for the first time when they came over to America had only background knowledge of comparing them to melons or some other european vegetable because they had never seen anything like it.    All of the pre-Columbian words that have been translated from the word squash really  mean the word “gourd”  which is interesting because we think of gourds as non edible now a days.    Did you know in Latin America they still serve up a dish called “Carbonada Criolla” it is a complex beef stew baked in a squash that has been hollowed out and the squash actually doubles as an ingredient and a vessel to hold it in as well.  Until next time……have a great Sunday!

Fondly,

This blog post is linked up to the following wonderful blog hops:

Sunday Night Soup Night

Friday Food Flicks

Homestead Barn Hop

Argentinian Beef Stew – Carbonada Criolla

1 large onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 green pepper, chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
1.5 pounds stewing beef, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 can stewed tomatoes
2 cups beef broth
3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 white potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons sugar
1 large winter squash, peeled and cubed
7 ounces dried apricots, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
1 cup frozen corn
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:

In a large pot, sauté the onions, green pepper, and garlic in the olive oil until golden and soft.
Add the beef and cook on medium-high heat, turning to brown all sides.
Add the stewed tomatoes, beef broth, potatoes, sugar, squash, and apricots, and lower heat to a simmer.
Cover and simmer until meat is tender