A great pumpkin soup needs a good stock

I grew a pumpkin this year! You may well ask why, since the vine enthusiastically took over most of the garden and bore only one single fruit. It was nevertheless pretty exciting for this first timer especially when I was able to harvest and roast it on the same day.

There's something about eating food that's as fresh as it can possibly be; an apple plucked straight from the tree, a strawberry still warm from the sun, a fish grilled on the day it was caught. I'd like to say my pumpkin tasted better than any I'd eaten before but the truth is, it didn't. It was quite bland although since picking it, I've read that pumpkins should be left on the vine until the stalk withers and the leaves drop off. I guess a pumpkin farmer knows that.

Anyway my point is this. Buying it from the greengrocer's is just fine and you needn't worry about how long it's been stored either because pumpkins will store for up to 3 months with no deterioration provided they are kept cool and dry. The tough protective skin holds the moisture inside the fruit and the flesh will be just as delicious as the day it was picked.

Jap, Butternut and Jarrahdale pumpkins are all great buys at this time of year and the best and most economical way to buy them is whole. You just need to be up to the task of cutting them which does take a firm hand and a large sturdy knife. You'll also need lots of ideas on what to do with it.

Which brings me to my next point. Pumpkin soup and stock.

Everyone knows how to make a pumpkin soup but the key to a great soup is the stick that you use.
A true vegetarian pumpkin soup uses quality veggie stock which you can make yourself very economically. It's a great way to use up bits and pieces of veg lying around the fridge that would otherwise be thrown out and the stalks of leafy veg (such as silverbeet) which may be too tough and bitter to eat on their own. A quality vegetable stock will cost about $8 to make 2 litres - that's a quarter of the price of buying it and if you have a pressure cooker you can whip it up in no time.

Here's the recipe for a good cheap veggie stock

Good cheap veggie stock

1 red onion, peeled
1 carrot (it doesn't matter if it's old and a bit bendy)
1 bunch silverbeet stalks
1 corn cob, de husked (old and past its prime is fine)
3 cloves garlic
1 bunch parsley stalks
A couple of handfuls of leftover pumpkin peel
A few sprigs of any mixed herbs you may have lying around (I used oregano and rosemary)
1 tsp peppercorns
1 tsp sea salt
2 litres water

Wash all the ingredients and place them in a large stock pot or pressure cooker.

Set the pressure cooker to 35 minutes or, if using a stock pot, bring the liquid to the boil, reduce to simmer and partially cover. Simmer for 1 ½ hours.

Strain the stock into a large jug and wait until the liquid cools.

Pour into 500 ml Freeze in 500 ml batches to make more soup throughout autumn and winter.

Discard the vegetable residue or blend it up and dig it into the garden, feed the worms or blend it up and mix with raw meat to make a nutritious dog food!

Use the recipe search function to find the delicious smoked roast pumpkin and paprika soup recipe.

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