The Sweatshop of Love Blog

I had every intention of making Hungry Girl’s Sassy Salsa Pumpkin Soup last night. My mom has made and loves this soup, my friend Liz sent me the recipe last week talking about how amazing it is. PT had a long and ridiculous week at work, so I was going to be a good girlfriend and make him some focaccia, which is quickly becoming our favorite bread.

But there is a shortage of canned pumpkin. I guess the crop last year was much smaller than usual, and I couldn’t find it anywhere. Pumpkin pie mix? Yes. Pumpkin? No. I went to Target, CVS, Strack and Van Til, and Walgreens and there was no canned pumpkin.

So I got a pumpkin! It’s pumpkin season, they are everywhere, this one cost $1.35, which is probably less than a can of pumpkin would cost me. The problem, of course, is I also needed milk, and my bike doesn’t have a lot of trunk space, so it was a slow trip home.

(See the tape recorder in there, too? I’ve got to transcribe an interview this weekend for Grocer Gram. And my Glorified Necklace! Which I take everywhere.)

I love pumpkin soup made with a pumpkin, so I wasn’t sorry to see that my easy pumpkin soup was going to have to be traded in for a much more complicated one. Because this recipe is worth it.

I made this soup a million times last fall and have perfected the recipe. It is based on the Pumpkin recipe in The Ultimate Vegetarian Cookbook by Roz Denny I found at a thrift store last summer and love love love. The Pumpkin recipe, though, is a PAIN IN THE ASS. I did it exactly like how it tells me to in the cookbook only once, because getting the pumpkin flesh out without chopping up the pumpkin is only something I would do for a very special occasion. A Friday night is not that occasion.

Baking, slicing, skinning, and chopping up a pumpkin is a messy business. But I would do it again. And again. And am going to do it again and again. Because there is nothing like freshly baked pumpkin soup.

Without further ado, my pumpkin soup recipe:

Pumpkin Soup, With A Pumpkin

Serves 4 Really Hungry People

Ingredients:

1/2 a pie pumpkin

1 onion, sliced

Oil; veggie, canola, olive, whatever you’ve got

1 14 oz can of tomatoes; diced or stewed, doesn’t matter

1 cup whole wheat pasta, any shape

2 cups veggie stock

2 cloves of garlic. diced

Vegetables; again, whatever you’ve got! Zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms, carrots, celery, broccoli, corn, and any combination, totaling about 4 cups

Beans (optional) – half a can, or about a cup, add a lot to the soup

Salt, pepper, ginger to taste

Directions:

1. Move your oven rack to the lowest level and preheat oven to 350. Cut off the top of your pumpkin just like you would if you were making a jack-o-lantern, and scoop out the seeds and the loose gunk. No need to clean it too much; you are slicing this baby open soon, so that will make it a lot easier.

2. Bake pumpkin with the lid on for 45 minutes. Take the top off and let it cool until you can handle it. Skin it and chop it up! I think it’s easiest to cut the pumpkin into 4ths, skin it, and then cut it into chunks. Save half of it – it will stay good in your fridge for like 2 weeks.

3. In a big soup pot, saute onion and pumpkin on medium heat in oil till onion is cooked, about 10 minutes.

4. Add veggies and cook for about 5 minutes, or longer, depending on your veggies. Stir in tomatoes, stock, pasta, beans if you so choose, and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer 10 minutes.

5. Serve! Add more seasonings if necessary – this soup is great with lots of fresh ground pepper.

Last night I made it with two carrots, half a yellow squash, and the left over beans from burritos the other night. It made me wish I had pinto beans on hand because pinto beans are so good in this soup! But mine were all dried. Next time!

The focaccia turned out really well, though a little dense because of the humidity yesterday. It just made it crispier, which is always welcomed.

They kitties were waiting at the table, wondering what was taking so long for their dinners! PT hardly had the patience to let me take this picture, though, our dinner smelled so good!

I knew things were looking promising when it rose so high before baking.

I covered the bread in spices, drizzled the last of the olive oil over the top, and threw it in the oven.

It’s breathtaking. This recipe couldn’t have been better. And with the spices on the top! With the Parmesan! Die.

(Please note my mom’s hand woven basket in the background, and her hot pad below the bread. My mom took one look at this recipe and was like, hell no! Too much work. Mommy? SO WORTH IT.

… I’ll just make it for you when I’m home next weekend.)

PT and I thought we would whip up a batch of the homemade cheesy tuna helper for Chris, and that it would go well with the focaccia, and we were right. I’m pretty sure we could have served anything and it would have gone well with the focaccia.

I think Chris enjoyed himself.

Last night was the last movie in Grant Park. I’m always sad when this rolls around because it is the first sign that summer is winding down.

But we won’t think about that now. We can’t! Not when Tootsie is playing, and every 10th person in the audience is dressed in drag, it’s 85 sunny degrees, and Rikkisha brings the most decadent, amazing pecan bars I’ve ever tasted. Gil, Martin, Brijeet, Rikkisha, PT and I got a slightly poop-filled spot in anticipation of Dustin Hoffman dressed as a woman. I can’t think of a better reason to sit in poop!

Tootsie was a lot of fun. Everyone was really into it! Which I love about Movies in the Park.

We were already trying to guess next year’s line-up.

I finished up my second washcloth at the movie, too! Didn’t these turn out cute? The knit up really quick and I love how they look. I like the alternating colors on this set of two. I have a feeling these will be big in Holiday Present Prep class this fall!

So now I’m chilling, watching the Tigers try to sweep the Angels, waiting for my laundry to come out of the dryer so I can pack for Minnesota tomorrow! PT and I have big plans for the Twin Cities; like a Twins game and the Minnesota State Fair! I can’t wait.

I’m also tackling focaccia. Yeah, it seems silly to be baking the day before leaving for the weekend, but PT’s friend Chris is coming over for dinner tonight, so we will have some help. His fiance Anne is in Minnesota, and we were worried he would be eating baked beans out of a can without her.

And I saw this focaccia recipe this morning and if Chris wasn’t coming over tonight I would be making some excuse about how Pudge Rodriguez likes bread. Seeing those pictures, how could you not run home and try to make it?

So far so good; you know how I have trouble with bread, so I followed this recipe to a T. I even pulled out my food thermometer to make sure the water was exactly 115 degrees. It’s rising! I hope it’s amazing because I certainly love focaccia.