Say Hi to 2009, and Bye to 2008! (with the last lunch of the year...Organic Pumpkin Soup and Herbed Garlic Bread)

I'm not usually a big fan of pumpkin. Perhaps the only few ways I eat them are pumpkin pie, steamed custard in pumpkin (a traditional Thai dessert), roasted pumpkin (together with other vegetables) and of course, pumpkin soup.

I normally try to improvise pumpkin soup by blending with other ingredients, such as pumpkin carrot soup; pumpkin, sweet potato and onion; cream of pumpkin and carrot soup; etc. But yesterday, I just thought hmmm.....why not just a simple pumpkin soup?

I had a whole organic pumpkin left from making pumpkin, sweet potato and onion soup the other day, before I left for Samui for my Christmas break. It was a small one, so I thought I use it all up and add nothing else to make a pure pumpkin soup for the first time.

It turned out surprisingly delicious and dense, with a creamy and smooth texture, sweet and bursting with pumpkin flavour. I normally use imported pumpkins from Australia (as they are generally sweeter and creamier than the local varieties), but this time, I used a local organically grown one.

And I've never made pumpkin bread without garlic bread. They are a perfect combination for me - match made in heaven, simply to die for! The recipe is very easy, you will not go wrong! So here it is...my last lunch for year 2008...

Organic Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients
300 g of organic pumpkin
500 ml of water
Salt and pepper to taste
Serves: 2

Procedure:

Peel pumpkin skin and remove the pulp and seed. Cut pumpkin into large chunks and steam in a steamer for about 20 minutes or until soft and mushy. Leave to cool.

Pour in the steamed pumpkin flesh together with the liquid from steaming into a blender, add 300 ml of water and blend until smooth and creamy.

Pour pumpkin mixture into a medium pot, add the remaining 200 ml water and simmer with medium heat over the stove until boiling. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve hot with garlic bread.

Herbed Garlic Bread
Ingredients
1 half baguette, cut diagonal into 2 cm thick pieces, makes about 5 - 6 pieces
1 tbsp of butter, melted
1 large clove of garlic, crushed using a garlic crusher or chopped finely
1 tbsp of fresh Italian parsley + 1 tsp of rosemary, chopped finely (you can substitute rosemary with other fresh herbs)
Serves: 2

Procedure:

Mix butter, crushed garlic and herbs together. Spread using a butter knife onto on side of the baguette pieces.

Grill garlic bread in oven for 4 - 5 minutes (150 C) or until the edge of the crust turns golden brown. Alternatively, you can also toast the garlic bread with a non-stick pan or grill pan on the stove (with the side spread with butter, garlic and herbs on the pan surface) for 5 minutes or until golden brown.