Happy Halloween... and pumpkin soup

Well, maybe it is just another opportunity for the shops to fill their shelves with useless tat but at least Halloween is more fun (and hopefully less expensive) than Mother's Day.
No doubt many of you will be getting roped-in to carving pumpkins for the kids - or for your own creative pleasure. I did, and also managed to carve a scary Halloween pattern into my thumb, which added to the gore - and thoroughly amused the children.
Don't forget, there's also a good meal to be had from that lantern so remember to scoop out all the flesh from the pumpkin before the kids use it to torment vulnerable members of society.

Pumpkin Soup
Flesh from one pumpkin
One onion
Knob of butter
Chicken stock cube
Sherry
Mixed herbs
Curry powder
Salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a saucepan and gently fry the onion until soft - three or four minutes. Then add the pumpkin and soften for another three or four minutes.
Then add two pints of water, bring to the boil and dissolve the stock cube. Add a good slosh of sherry, a couple of pinches of herbs, a tablespoon of curry powder and plenty of salt and pepper. Simmer gently for 45 minutes, blitz to a smooth, creamy consistency and serve.