Spicy Pumpkin Soup with roasted red peppers & northern white beans topped with a pictachio herb cheese
Created by Annette McDonnell

Ingredients
2 medium cooking pumpkins
2 butternut squash
4 roasted red bell peppers
1 chopped onion
1 quartered onion
2 shallots
4 cloves of garlic
1 to 2 tsp chili flakes (depending on desired heat)
1 cup brandy
4 cups chicken stock
2 sprigs of tarragon
1 1/2 cups dried northern white beans
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup de-shelled pistachio nuts
1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese
1/4 cup chives
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley

Instructions Soak beans in water overnight. After soaking, rinse 2 to 3 times. Place beans in a pot with 6 c of water, 1 sprig of tarragon, 1 quartered onion, 2 crushed garlic cloves & salt. Bring to boil on med heat, let simmer 1 hour. Drain beans, reserve 2 to 3 cups of bean stock for soup (set aside). While beans are cooking, clean & quarter pumpkins & squash. Place on cookie sheet, brush with butter & season with salt & pepper. Bake in oven at 350 for about 40 min (until fork tender). Remove & cool. When cool to touch, remove skin from pumpkin & squash. Place in large bowl & smash with potato smasher (set aside).

In large soup pot melt butter, add chopped onion, garlic, shallots & a dash of salt. Sauté until golden brown and you have nice brown bits on bottom of pot. De-glaze soup pot with 1 cup of brandy cook down to 1/2 cup of liquid. Add chicken stock, 2 cups of bean stock pumpkin squash puree & roasted peppers, chili flakes & 1 sprig of chopped tarragon. Cook together for 1 hour.

While soup is cooking put together garnish… In a food processor; pistachios, Asiago cheese, chives, parsley, olive oil, salt & pepper to taste. Give mixture a quick spin, keeping garnish slightly chunky. Remove soup from heat & puree with hand blender. Add whole beans & final cup of bean stock, if needed to thin. Mix without breaking beans. Ladle soup into serving bowls, top with garnish & serve with a glass of fabulous Paradise Ridge Syrah.
Cheers!