As Autumn is slowing creeping up upon us shops are displaying their Halloween goods and every supermarket is piled high with pumpkins. The tradition of pumpkin carving comes of course from America, but its origins go much further back. The Celts first carved faces into hollowed out turnips and put in a small candle to light the way home for friendly spirits. These carved vegetables were eventually known as Jack O’Lanterns by the Irish descendants of the Celts who had a legend about a farmer making a bargain with the devil himself that left his spirit unable to enter either heaven or hell and so he was forced to wander the earth for all eternity.

 

Pumpkins are versatile seasonal ingredients that can be used in a number of dishes such as soups, salads an as really tasty side dish as well as the classic spiced pumpkin pie at American Thanksgiving. The outside skins can be quite tough, so you will need a good sharp knife and to be careful. If you don’t feel that happy tackling a whole one you can buy prepared fresh or frozen squash in most supermarkets as well as many of the other ingredients. Pumpkin flesh tends to be a little sweeter and has a higher moisture content so makes excellent soups and purees, the flesh from squashes is a little firmer and great for roasting or adding to curries and stews.

Pumpkin, Chilli and Ginger Soup

This is a brilliant warming soup to serve right through Autumn and the Winter months. You can substitute the cream with Crème Fraiche and omit the butter and substitute creamed coconut for a Vegan alternative. Most supermarkets stock frozen garlic and ginger they taste great and save on wastage.

1 medium Pumpkin, about 1kg weight, peeled and deseeded

700 ml hot Vegetable stock

150 ml Thick Jersey Cream

2 Onions, peeled and sliced

2 large Carrots, peeled and sliced

2 cloves of Garlic, crushed

1 large Red Chilli, sliced

A 4 cm piece of Ginger, peeled and grated

Juice and zest of 1 fresh Lime

4 tablespoons quality Olive Oil

2 tablespoons Butter

2 tablespoons Plain Flour

Jersey Sea Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper

 

Heat your oven to 400 F / 200° C / Gas Mark 6. Mix the pumpkin, onion, and carrots in the olive oil and place in a large, deep roasting tin with half the olive oil. Bake in the oven for thirty to forty minutes, stirring a couple of times to help the vegetables cook evenly until they are caramelised and cooked through.

Melt the butter in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, then add the garlic, ginger and chilli cook without burning for a couple of minutes then add the flour and stir. Add the roasted vegetables and the vegetable stock and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for twenty minutes stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. When cool puree with a stick blender or in a food processor until smooth and pour into a clean pan. Add the lime juice and zest and the cream and reheat with boiling, check the seasoning and serve. Can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for three days without the cream.