Tea Room Tales & Tidbits
Table of Contents

info Introduction info Front Cover info Inside Cover info Table of Contents info Copyright info About The Author menu_book Dedication menu_book Foreword (2010) menu_book Foreword (2020) menu_book Foreword (2022) menu_book The Dream Begins... menu_book The Lady of the House menu_book Fate list_alt Scones & Biscuits   restaurant_menu Bacon & Cheese Biscuits   restaurant_menu Castle Scones   restaurant_menu Flax Seed Biscuits   restaurant_menu Ivy Tea Room Scones   restaurant_menu Paisley Scones   restaurant_menu Rosemary Manx Biscuits list_alt Tools of the Trade menu_book New Year, New Beginnings list_alt Pastry   restaurant_menu Choux Pastry (Puff Pastry)   restaurant_menu Lemon Poppy Seed Pastry   restaurant_menu Oatmeal Pastry   restaurant_menu Peacan Pastry   restaurant_menu Pie Pastry menu_book To Paisley menu_book My Group of Seven list_alt Fillings   restaurant_menu Chocolate Filling   restaurant_menu Lemon Filling   restaurant_menu Vanilla Filling   restaurant_menu Whipped Cream   restaurant_menu Cream Cheese Filling   restaurant_menu Mock Devonshire Cream menu_book Mary Gets a Proper Frame menu_book Revisiting Medieval Times menu_book The Witches Gathering list_alt Icing and Frosting   restaurant_menu Butter Cream Frosting   restaurant_menu Marshmallow Icing   restaurant_menu Satin Chocolate Icing   restaurant_menu Royal Icing   restaurant_menu Almond Glaze   restaurant_menu Lemon Glaze   restaurant_menu Cream Cheese Frosting   restaurant_menu Coconut-Pecan Frosting menu_book From Haunting to Understanding menu_book The Giant Teapot list_alt Sauces   restaurant_menu Chocolate Sauce   restaurant_menu Caramel Sauce   restaurant_menu Harvest Fruit Sauce   restaurant_menu Field Berry Sauce   restaurant_menu Raspberry Sauce   restaurant_menu Blueberry Sauce menu_book Mary Introduces Herself to the Staff list_alt Cake   restaurant_menu Angel Cake   restaurant_menu Christmas Cake   restaurant_menu Ginger Cake   restaurant_menu Gooey Tortoise Cake   restaurant_menu Our Italian Wedding Cake   restaurant_menu Lemon Poppy Seed Cake   restaurant_menu Banana Split Cake   restaurant_menu Pumpkin Cake   restaurant_menu Queen Victoria Carrot Cake   restaurant_menu Blueberry Tea Cake menu_book The Proposal list_alt Cookies   restaurant_menu Almond Apricot Biscotti   restaurant_menu Chocolate Biscotti   restaurant_menu Chocolate Chip Cookies   restaurant_menu Country Road Cookies   restaurant_menu Gingerbread Cookies   restaurant_menu Coconut Macaroon Cookies   restaurant_menu Grandma's Shortbread   restaurant_menu Grandpa's Oatmeal Cookies   restaurant_menu Lassy Mogg Cookies   restaurant_menu Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies   restaurant_menu Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Shortbread   restaurant_menu Sugar Cookie Cutouts menu_book Precious Teacups menu_book Customers of Many Kinds list_alt Desserts and Treats   restaurant_menu Meringue Nests   restaurant_menu Mints   restaurant_menu Bread Pudding   restaurant_menu Chocolate Truffles   restaurant_menu Christmas Pudding   restaurant_menu Butter Tarts   restaurant_menu Cream Puffs   restaurant_menu Lemon Unicorn Horns   restaurant_menu Victorian Sugar Plums list_alt Pie   restaurant_menu Farm-style Pie   restaurant_menu Pumpkin Pie menu_book Flying Hats menu_book You're a What? list_alt Bread   restaurant_menu Step By Step Bread Making   restaurant_menu White Bread   restaurant_menu Brown Bread   restaurant_menu Rosemary Bread   restaurant_menu Pumpernickel Bread   restaurant_menu Honey Oat Bread   restaurant_menu Rye Bread   restaurant_menu Scottish Fruit and Nut Bread menu_book Dress Up Time menu_book ...And Here's Julie list_alt Lunches   restaurant_menu Quiche   restaurant_menu Lamb Tourtière   restaurant_menu Beef Tarts   restaurant_menu Goulash   restaurant_menu Saucy Chicken menu_book What's So Special About a Tearoom? menu_book What's The Soup Today? list_alt Soup   restaurant_menu Beef Barley Vegetable Soup   restaurant_menu Chinese LoBok Soup   restaurant_menu Cock-a-Leeky Soup   restaurant_menu Creamy Garden Vegetable Soup   restaurant_menu Cream of Asparagus Soup   restaurant_menu Cream of Broccoli Soup   restaurant_menu Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup   restaurant_menu Creamy Leek & Potato Soup   restaurant_menu Fairytale Pumpkin Soup   restaurant_menu French Onion Soup   restaurant_menu Mulligatawny   restaurant_menu Root Soup   restaurant_menu Tomato and Red Rice Soup menu_book A Visitor in the Night menu_book The Photograph list_alt Salads and Dressings   restaurant_menu House Salad   restaurant_menu Mandarin Salad   restaurant_menu Greek Salad   restaurant_menu Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing menu_book That's Odd list_alt Sandwiches and Spreads   restaurant_menu Egg Salad   restaurant_menu Crab Salad   restaurant_menu Tea Sandwiches   restaurant_menu Cucumber Sandwiches   restaurant_menu Cucumber Swords   restaurant_menu Anglo-Saxon Cheese Spread   restaurant_menu Tuna Salad   restaurant_menu Paisley Bridge Sandwiches menu_book The Disbeliever menu_book It's All In The Timing list_alt Jam   restaurant_menu Sterilizing Jars   restaurant_menu Festive Cherry Peach Jam   restaurant_menu Gooseberry Jam   restaurant_menu Mandarin Melody Jam   restaurant_menu Rhubarb Peach Jam   restaurant_menu Strawberry Peach Jam   restaurant_menu Very Berry Jam menu_book In Closing info Recipe Index info Story Index info Back Cover

Fairytale Pumpkin Soup

You never know what you are going to find when you head out to Smiths' Apples and Farm Market on the River Road outside of Port Elgin. Not only do they have an excellent variety of apples (and best tasting) but they also have an assortment of fall veggies. I love to go visit Micki and Steve, they always have interesting tales to tell and new crops to share. One day while picking up some apple blossom honey (made with the help of local bees and the Smith's trees) I was fortunate enough to pick up something new - a fairy tale pumpkin. When I saw the exaggerated shape and ridges, I just had to try it for pumpkin soup. I gave it a whirl and it turned out so wonderful that I proudly took the folks at Smiths' a jar of their own to taste.

  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 large cooking onion, chopped
  • 2 celery stalks with leaves, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
  • 1 large Jonagold, Honey Crisp, or Royal Gala apple
  • 10 cups peeled, cubed pumpkin. You can also substitute with butternut or Hubbard squash
  • 1 cup uncooked basmati rice
  • 1 cup dry chicken stock (bullion)
  • 1 litre buttermilk
  • 1 litre 2% milk
  • 3 tsp curry
  • 1 tsp marjoram
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp ginger
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp allspice
  • 1/2 tsp ground pepper
  1. Place a large soup pot with a heavy bottom on the stove and set at medium heat.
  2. Add butter, chopped onion, garlic and chopped celery (including the leaves). Sauté until onions and celery appear to be browning on the edges.
  3. Fill pot 3/4 full of water.
  4. Add dry chicken stock, pumpkin and rice.
  5. Bring to a boil, stirring to prevent sticking.
  6. Add spices stirring, enjoy the aroma of the soup.
  7. Boil for 20 minutes and then add buttermilk and milk.
  8. Turn heat down to minimum, stirring occasionally.
  9. Blend until creamy smooth before serving.
Fairytale Pumpkins look like something right out of a fairytale.
The flesh of the pumpkins is excellent for making soup.