As the days get colder, there is something about a hearty soup that warms one up from head to toe.


Having enjoyed pumpkin soup in little tea houses, but never having made it myself, I was looking forward to testing a new recipe.


I know, conventional wisdom says you don't test a recipe on company; for me, it's a perfect opportunity.



When my lunch guest said "yes" to a second helping, I knew the soup was a "keeper". If you'd like to make it, the recipe is from the "Canadian Gardening" site. Here's the link.

The recipe suggested fresh pumpkin purée; it is from, after all, a gardening site! Mine came from a tin; pumpkin growing is not in my limited agricultural repertoire. Not having pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds filled in nicely. One more thing, I ran a hand blender around it to break up the onions and create a smooth texture.






Some ricotta cheese biscuits, 





 
a couple of wonky-shaped apple dumplings,





 and that was lunch.