Pumpkin soup

When the Halloween is around, Pumpkins are in abundance.  There are countless varieties of pumpkins and squashes. I take my kids to the farm to give them the first hand experience of where the pumpkins come from. Whittamore's farm is our favourite place to go every halloween season to pick the pumpkin. They have a big pumpkin patch and a  fun place for the kids; looking around the farm animals, finding the best pumpkin, carving.... you are creating beautiful memories with your family.   If you are thinking of using the pumpkin for cooking or making soups, you should also know how to pick your pumpkin.

Choosing pumpkin for soup:
Pumpkin should be finely textured, with yellow orange flesh. It has to be medium sweet, medium dry with very hard rind. I find the Jamaican pumpkins are good for making soups.
here is a nice recipe to make the pumpkin soup.

Ingredients:
Pumpkin - 2 cups diced
Onions - 1 chopped
Scotch bonnet pepper- 1(do not break the skin)
Tyme leaves -  1 tsp
Sweet potato - 1 cup diced
Salt
Pepper
Cream 10% -  1 cup
Margarine - 2 tbsp
Boiling water - 3 cups
Chicken broth - 1 cup

Garnish:
 Green onion - 1 tsbp chopped, Croutons

Method:
Saute onions and tyme in margarine until tender. Add water and chicken broth allow it to boil. Add the diced pumpkin sweet potato,  scotch bonnet pepper. Cover and boil until pumpkin starts to break, approx 45 mins. Remove the pepper being careful not to break it. Remove the pumpkin and other vegetables and let cool and mash it or put it through a blender. Add the liquid back into the pureed vegetables and mix well. Add salt, pepper, cream. Heat gently, DO NOT BOIL. Garnish.