From the Shelf: Pumpkin Soup

You're going to be buying a pumpkin for Halloween anyway, why not buy one to make something good to eat? Discovered when I was going through the collections of cookbooks I own, this recipe from "The Black Family Reunion Cookbook" will be perfect for these chilly nights, and is a good way to recycle your gourd before it heads to the green bin.

Ingredients:

1.4-1.9 L chicken consommé (refrigerate before using and skim off the fat)
910 g fresh pumpkin, peeled and cut up
230-455 g smoked meat of your choice (suggestions include pork, neckbones, turkey); can be left out entirely if the soup needs to be vegetarian
100 g small size dried pasta (shells or elbow macaroni)
100 g shredded cabbage
40 g green beans, cut up (or other vegertables of your choice)
15 g chopped fresh parsley
3 carrots, thinly sliced
2-3 celery stalks
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, diced

1. Cook the meat and the consommé in a large stockpot for 30 minutes (the consommé may be diluted with water.) Remove the meat and set aside.
2. Add the pumpkin, celery, onion, garlic, and parsley to the pot. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes until the pumpkin is done. Remove from heat and let cool.
3. Pour the contents of the stockpot in a blender and purée. Pour the purée back into the pot adding more consommé if the mixture is too thick.
4. Bring the soup to a boil. Add the carrots, green beans (or whatever vegetable you're using), and pasta. Cook until the pasta is tender.
5. If you are using meat in the recipe, slice or cut it up, and add it back to the soup. Add the cabbage, and cook for 10 minutes or until the cabbage is done but still crunchy.
   
   Serves 12. Store in covered airtight containers, and refrigerate any extra vegetable soup promptly. Properly stored, the soup will last for 3 to 4 days. Freeze it in covered airtight containers or heavy-duty freezer bags. Properly stored, it will maintain its best quality for about 4 to 6 months but will remain safe beyond that time.

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"The Black Family Reunion Cookbook" from the National Council of Negro Women contains more than 250 recipe from home kitchens, and highlights the values, traditions, and strengths of the Black family.