PUMPKIN GINGER SOUP and TOMATILLO SALSA

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My darling friend, Ashley, brought me a jar of her pumpkin ginger soup and tomatillo salsa. Both were excellent so I knew you would want the recipes.  The pumpkin soup had a nice burn from the ginger and although the twins next door (they are now nine years old!) didn't try the soup, they loved the salsa.



PUMPKIN GINGER SOUP 
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon peeled and diced fresh ginger
1/4 cup diced carrots
1/4 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced onion
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
3 1/2 cups vegetable stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup raw, hulled pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

In a medium saucepan, heat butter over medium-high heat.  Add ginger, carrots, celery, onion, and saute until vegetables begin to soften, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.  Add pumpkin and stir well.  Add vegetable stock and bring to a boil.  Add salt, pepper, cinnamon, and cayenne.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes.

Transfer to a blender or food processor and puree the mixture until smooth.  Strain the soup back into the saucepan and add the cream.  Keep warm.

Put the raw pepitas in a medium non-stick skillet and toast over medium-high heat, stirring until the seeds are fragrant, light brown, and begin to pop, about 3 minutes.

To serve, ladle the warm soup into serving bowls and garnish with toasted pepitas.

TOMATILLO SALSA
2 jalapeno chiles, seeded and diced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
8 tomatillos, husked and diced
1 cup diced red, yellow, or orange bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

To prepare the salsa, combine all the ingredients in a non-reactive bowl.  Let stand at least 1 hour and not more than 3 hours before serving to allow flavors to blend.  That's it!

Both recipes are from Seasonal Southwest Cooking by Barbara Pool Fenzl.