70's ORANGE

Le Creuset, Pumpkin soup, Tangerine & Mexican Brown Ponchos...remember?


In 1976 my mother was given a bright orange Le Creuset iron casserole pot. She also had the matching frying pan which hung in decoration on the kitchen wall with its backdrop of brown tiles.

The 70's were orange. Not just decor but also food. My mother was determined that orange food was the salvation of humanity. Today we know its value in anti oxidants.

Sunday afternoons were spent driving out to Henderson to stock up..I am talking about 2 foot high bags of carrots for juicing, apples, pears,whatever they had. One Sunday my mother and the grower's wife got excited about a small orange pumpkin. It was being called a baby squash and, hands full of recipes, my mother filled up the boot with them.

That evening I ate pumpkin soup for the first time in my life. It was served in pottery bowls and accompanied by my mother's repeated, Just look at the colour!

Yesterday my husband came home from the market with a potimarron/baby squash. I went through all my late mother's cookery books looking for her recipe and finally found it handwritten into the back cover of her beloved Gretta Anna cookbook ( also orange!).


Mother's Pumpkin Soup
1baby squash
1 large red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
3 sticks celery, finely chopped
1 large young turnip
250 gr chopped bacon
parsley, chives
1 Creuset casserole pot

Method
Mother used to steam her pumpkin/squash and then peel it. Working mother, I don't have time for that and have learnt, thank you Janice, to pop it in the microwave with an inch of water and zap for 10 mins. Scoop out the flesh.
*Put chopped bacon, celery and red onion with 2 tablespoons olive oil in pot. Heat should be medium, get them to sweat.
*Peel, chop turnip and add to pot
*Add pumpkin flesh and crushed garlic.
*Cover with about 3 cups of water
*Cover and let simmer for about 45 mins. Check liquid level constantly.
*Mix. I use an electric " wand" which I can put directly into the pot.
*Serve with a spoon of creme fraiche and chopped parsley and chives.


Don't forget to say Just look at the colour...


ps the ponchos..mother and daughter ponchos, hand crocheted in tangerine and mexican brown, with tassles. Very very embarrassing.


Comments

  1. Your mother sounds a character. I will do her soup today. Thanks for your humour and love of food. Jane, Paris

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Susie I made your pumpkin soup and I just wanted to say that it is by far the most amazing pumpkin soup I have ever tasted. Really unadulterated, rich and full of vitamins. Thank you so much for your great practical recipes and your posts- they are just hillarious!! Angela, Paris

    ReplyDelete
  3. Best pumpkin soup recipe.
    Jean

    ReplyDelete

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