whatcha got cooking? (an experiment)

every fall i see adorable little sugar pumpkins piled high in the produce section just begging to be made into something delicious. really though, who in their right mind would go through all that work for pumpkin puree, when you can buy it in a can? (other than martha stewart). i decided this year i was going to give it a go and i set out on a mission to find a recipe that called for fresh pumpkin. hello, slow cooker pumpkin soup!

it took me about a week after i bought the pumpkin to work up the courage to slice it open. mostly i was feeling guilty about it. coen bonded with this little pumpkin and had been carrying it around the house for the past week. oh well. once i sliced the top off i quickly realized that i wasn't completely sure what i was doing. i googled, "how to slice a sugar pumpkin", but didn't come up with much (i learn best through pictures, not essays). the solution: treat it like a cantaloupe.

peeling it was the tricky part. i went back and forth between a potato peeler and a knife. but soon this sweet little pumpkin was in 2 inch cubes. the smell of the pumpkin and onion cooking in the cast iron skillet was surprisingly delightful. however, the previous steps to getting that sweet little pumpkin into the slow cooker was A LOT of work.

i was completely unprepared for this part; "tie the rosemary, thyme, sage, cinnamon, and bay leaves into a piece of cheesecloth..." for starters, i didn't have any cheesecloth and i had completely spaced buying fresh herbs. woops. so i got creative. i had some dried herbs from my mother-in-laws garden that i tied up in piece of first aid gauze. impressive?

after i pureed the cooked pumpkin mixture, i sampled my hard work expecting to be delighted with fall flavors. i wasn't. it was missing something. i added a little brown sugar (about a tablespoon at a time, mixing in between till i was satisfied with the flavor), a tablespoon of butter, and a pinch of cinnamon...we were in business!

i served it with warm bread, and it was delicious. a great way to send fall out with a bang! welcome, chilly chilly winter... we've been expecting you.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium sugar pumpkin, seeded and cubed
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cups chicken stock, or as needed
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 sprig fresh sage
• 2 small cinnamon sticks
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pumpkin and onion; cook and stir until lightly browned. Transfer to a slow cooker. Pour in enough chicken broth to cover the pumpkin. Tie the rosemary, thyme, sage, cinnamon, and bay leaves into a piece of cheesecloth, and place in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on Low for 4 hours.
2. After 4 hours, remove the herb sachet. Stir in the cream, and puree the soup with a hand blender until smooth. Serve.

* I added brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon to taste after the soup was pureed. Have fun experimenting with this soup and making it your own!