Fall Festival Recipe Exchange

My Friend Amy has come up with a terrific idea- Fall Festival Recipe Exchange. Most of us cook more when the cooler weather hits, and if you are like me, you get bored cooking the same old things. This is a great way to add to your repertoire!

Check out her website by copying the link here:
http://ow.ly/u4ZU

One of my favorite fall recipes is perfect for lunch, dinner and makes a great first course for Thanksgiving. It's from Rachael Ray and its in her BIG ORANGE BOOK cookbook, and she cooked it on her 2004 Thanksgiving in 60 Minutes Special on the Food Network.



PUMPKIN SOUP WITH CHILI CRAN-APPLE RELISH
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 fresh bay leaf
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
2 teaspoons hot sauce
6 cups chicken stock
1 (28-ounce) can pumpkin puree
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Relish:
1 crisp apple, finely chopped
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries, chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:
Heat a medium soup pot over medium to medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and butter and when the butter melts, add the bay leaf, celery, onions. Season the veggies with salt and pepper and cook for 6 or 7 minutes, until tender.

Add the flour, poultry seasoning, and hot sauce, then cook for a minute. Whisk in the chicken stock and bring the liquid to a bubble. Whisk in the pumpkin in large spoonfuls to incorporate it into the broth.

Simmer the soup for 10 minutes to thicken a bit, then add the cream and nutmeg. Reduce the heat to low and keep warm until ready to serve.

While the soup cooks, assemble the relish: Combine the apple, onion, lemon juice, cranberries, chili powder, honey and cinnamon in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Adjust the seasonings in the soup and relish. Discard the bay leaf. Ladle the soup into shallow bowls and top with a few spoonfuls of relish. (The relish adds a fabulous crunch to the soup!)

Serves 8 first course, 4 main entrees.