This is still pumpkin time, so it’s not too late to call your attention to a recipe recommended by Howard and Isot Weissberg of East Hampton. Every year they enjoy the “Pumpkin Soup with Cream” from that slim volume to treasure, “Bridge Hampton Works and Days,” published in 1974 by the Bridge Hampton Village Improvement Society.
You fill a pumpkin with bread, cheese and cream and bake it for an enriched version of the French peasant panade. It has the texture of a soft souffle and the combination of flavors is delectable. Try it for supper with a salad. Don’t be conservative with the salt and pepper.
Pumpkin Soup With Cream
“Cut the crown off 6-to-8-pound pumpkin and make a tureen of it by scooping out the seeds and stringy portion. Fill the hollowed pumpkin three-quarters full with alternate layers of toasted bread and grated Gruyere cheese. Season with salt and pepper, and then fill remaining space with light cream.”
“Replace the crown and put the pumpkin in a hot (400 degree) oven for two hours. Serve it directly at the table. Make sure to scoop out the meat of the pumpkin with a spoon, being careful not to break the shell.”
“It looks marvelously dramatic, and as an extra precaution I put the pumpkin in a supporting dish (like a Creuset) in case it collapses.”
“I serve this with French bread and a light white wine. You can bake the leftovers with more cheese sprinkled over them.” — Maria Koenig
