USING UP MY SQUASH

So I still have about 15 heirloom pumpkins and squash in my basement. I know I won't have them for much longer, as they never really stay good past the end of February. So I got on the web and stumbled across a BBC website and found this recipe. My usual pumpkin soup has apples and dried thyme in it. This recipe uses fresh thyme. I splurged for the Gruyere and actually mixed it into the soup. The heirloom pumpkin I used was one I hadn't tried yet and it turned out to be more on the bitter side (kind of white with an underlying green hue and knobby bumps all over it) I used all butter and no sunflower oil, left out the cream, but added extra cheese. Used 1/2 vegetable stock and 1/2 beef broth. The result was pure pumpkin soup heaven. I thought about soaking and blending cashews into a paste to use instead of the Gruyere. I bet it would be good as it would add a creamy sweetness to the soup. I've included the original recipe below:


Roasted pumpkin and thyme soup with Gruyere cheese

Ingredients
3kg/7lb unpeeled pumpkin, kabocha or butternut squash
2 tbsp sunflower oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
75g/3oz butter
2 medium onions, chopped
8 small sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only, plus extra leaves to garnish
2.25litres/4 pints vegetable stock
1 tsp salt
300ml/1⁄2 pint single cream
175g/6oz Gruyère cheese, coarsely grated

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
2. Cut the pumpkin or squash into chunky wedges and scoop away all the fibres and seeds. Rub the wedges with oil, season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then place them into one large or two smaller roasting tins, skin-side down. Transfer to the oven to roast for 30 minutes, or until tender.
3. Remove the pumpkin from the oven and, when cool enough to handle, slice away and discard the skin and cut the flesh into small chunks.
4. Melt the butter in a large pan. Add the onion and half the thyme leaves and cook gently for about ten minutes until the onion is very soft but not browned. Add the roasted pumpkin, any juices from the plate, the stock and one teaspoon of salt. Cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes.
5. Leave the soup to cool slightly, then add the remaining thyme leaves and liquidize in batches until smooth. Return to a clean pan and bring back to a gentle simmer.
6. Stir in the cream and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Ladle into warmed bowls and place a small handful of the grated Gruyère into the center of each. Scatter a few more thyme leaves on top and serve.