Pumpkin Soup With Chives

1/2 c Onion -- diced

5 c Homemade chicken stock

-- well seasoned 2 1/2 c Pumpkin puree

-- canned or fresh* Salt and nutmeg -- to taste Cayenne pepper -- to taste 2 c Light cream

-GARNISH
- Whipped cream (opt'l.) Fresh chives -- chopped
-PRESENTATION
- Hollowed-out pumpkin shell -plus lid (opt'l.)

*If using fresh pumpkin: Wash, halve and scrape out seeds and fiber. Peel and cube. Cook, covered, in boiling water until tender (about 25 minutes). Mash in blender or by hand and let drain in strainer for 30 minutes. You'll need about 5 cups of cubed fresh pumpkin to yield enough cooked puree. If you plan to use the pumpkin shell as the soup tureen, cook all the cubed pumpkin, saving any leftover puree for use in pies, breads or muffins. To make the soup: Cook diced onion with stock in a large saucepan for about 10 minutes. Add pumpkin puree and seasonings. Process in blender or food processor until smooth. Return to saucepan. Add cream and heat through, but do not allow to boil. Taste and adjust seasonings. Ladle into pumpkin shell if desired, replace lid, and ladle into individual bowls at the table. Garnish each with a dollop of whipped cream and sprinkle with chopped chives. From _Nancy Enright's Canadian Herb Cookbook_ by Nancy Enright. Toronto: James Lorimer & Company, Inc., 1985. Pg. 28. ISBN 0-88862-788-2. Electronic format by Cathy Harned.