"PUMPKIN TIME"

This time of the year nature dresses up in yellow.  It's the season of morning mist and falling leaves.

It's also the most perfect time to tuck your lunch in a backpack and go hiking in the woods. Everything tastes better outdoors, but a flask of something warming is a must... For example some pumpkin soup... (And it matches the surrounding colors, as well). The wood sorrel oil and the rye croutons are a Finnish twist of an old favorite. Aromatic wood sorrel can be picked until the first snow... But if you cannot find wild wood sorrel, basil leaves will do.

FINN-STYLE PUMPKIN SOUP

1 1/2 kg peeled, deseeded and chopped pumpkin (I used sweet Hokkaido pumpkin)
250 g finely chopped onions
1000 ml vegetable (or chicken) stock
100-200 ml double cream (or soy/oat/almond/coconut cream)
sea salt
ground black pepper
ground nutmeg
4 slices wholemeal seeded rye bread
extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves
handful of fresh wood sorrel leaves (or basil leaves)

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan, saute finely chopped onions for couple of minutes, until soft, but not colored. Add peeled, deseeded and chopped pumpkin to the pan, and cook until it starts to soften. Pour hot vegetable stock into the pan, and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. (Taste first, and be careful with the amount of salt.) Let simmer until the pumpkin is very soft. Pour the cream into the pan, bring to boil and puree with a hand blender. (If not as smooth as you wish for, sieve the soup). Taste, and season more, if needed.

Cut the seeded rye bread slices into small croutons. Smash the garlic cloves with a flat surface of a knife, discard the peel. Heat some oil in a pan, add the garlic and croutons, and fry until they start to turn crisp.

Use the garlic for the herb oil; combining garlic cloves, wood sorrel leaves and extra virgin olive oil, and running the mixture smooth with a hand blender.

Reheat the soup, serve scatted with croutons and drizzled with herb oil.