Pumpkin Soup: In the pumpkin!

Last weekend I tried making soup in a pumpkin. It was honestly an epic fail. It was my first time using dried beans and even after soaking them and cooking them for 1.5 hours they were still ummm...a little crunchy.

Outside of that I didn't get that wonderful pumpkin puree, thick, delicious product shown in other photos. I think those people cheated. I know it's still a pretty serving vessel so maybe I'll cop out next time and just transfer it to the pumpkin at the end.

I'd give you the recipe but really I'd recommend using Alton Brown's.

Using the tinfoil as handles was very helpful. It turns out while baking the pumpkin shrinks a bit and without the foil the lid would have fallen into the soup!

The soup contained corn, beans, and pumpkin- also known as "The Three Sisters" in Native American culture. Together these plants formed a symbiotic relationship. The corn stalks allowed the beans to grow upward while providing shade for the squash. The squash also kept the soil moist and protected. It was common for Native Americans to plant a fish underneath plants to provide more nutrients as well.