Call it calabaza
Celebrate with a West Indian pumpkin soup
virginvoices.com staff
You can call it calabaza, but it's also known as tamalayota, ayote, auyama, zapallo or joko. It's round and can be as big as a watermelon or as small as a cantaloupe, and range in color from green to pale orange.
Better known as West Indian pumpkin calabaza is popular throughout the Caribbean as well as Central and South America. Its edible seeds are terrific toasted and eaten whole. But it's the flaming orange flesh that can flavor fritters, be folded into a provocative pie, and create a savory soup.
Celebrate the season with a West Indian Pumkin soup.
Ingedients
2/3 cup diced celery
2/3 cup diced carrots
2/3 cup diced onion
3/4 cup water or stock
3/4 lb cooked pumpkin
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp thyme
1/8 tsp salt
Bay leaf
1/8 cup sour cream for garnish
Procedure
Puree celery, carrots and onion in a food processor while gradually adding stock.
Pour puree into a large saucepan. Blend pumpkin, stock, pepper, thyme. Bring to boil.
Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
May be thinned to desired consistency with water.
Makes three servings.
Photo: "Aileen" offers a fresh "calabazza" at a stand in St. Thomas. Virgin Voice Photo by D.B. Bostdorf
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