Pumpkin Harvest Soup and Muenster Sandwiches

Danni here from Silo Hill Farm and I can't tell you how happy I am with this series on soups and sandwiches.  One of the reasons I love fall is because it's the beginning of soup season.  Of course, since I also love pumpkins, I had to make this Pumpkin Harvest Soup.

I cannot lie to you...this soup was inspired by a trip to the supermarket where Food Network magazine caught my eye in the check-out line.  There on the cover of this months issue was a pumpkin-apple soup in a beautiful bread bowl.  Stopped me right in my tracks.   Since the issue also included a bonus booklet called "50 things to make with canned pumpkin", into my cart it went.  (Total impulse purchase, rare for me.)
Now, I'll tell you two things right here and now.  One.. that I always think I can improve on a recipe and this soup was no exception. Two....I'm not making bread bowls.  A regular bowl works just fine for me and I don't need all the extra calories from a bowl you can eat.   
You can find the original recipe in the magazine, but I messed around with it a little and this is the way I made mine.
This soup makes 4-6 servings and the ingredients are not too involved at all...

1/4 C. creamy peanut butter
2 C. chicken broth
1 15oz. can pumpkin
1/2 C. cream
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 apples (cored and chopped into bite size pieces)
3 Tbsp. maple syrup
4 strips cooked crumbled bacon (not pictured..because I forgot)

Cook 1/2 of the chopped apple in butter until soft.
Put the pumpkin in a pan and whisk in the broth, peanut butter, cream, syrup and pumpkin pie spice.  Add sauteed apple.  Simmer ten minutes.
Ladle into 4 soup bowls and top with remaining chopped apple and cooked crumbled bacon.  Serve immediately.

OPEN FACE MUENSTER CHEESE SANDWICHES

Muenster cheese is a semi-soft cheese from the United States.  It is a pale, smooth, easy melting cheese made from cow's milk.  It is very mild in flavor although European versions are much more pungent. I think it's kind of buttery tasting and I love it!  If you can't find it in the packaged cheese section of your grocery store, try the deli.  This is the kind I use..

This sandwich couldn't be easier.  Start with garlic bread, either homemade or store bought.  (Mine came from the bakery section of the grocery store.)

Put it on a small baking pan and bake at 425 for 5 minutes on each side.  Pull it out and add a slice of Muenster cheese to each piece.  Put it back in the oven for about 2 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.  I particularly like this one with tomato soup!  A quick note for those of you who might be wondering why I don't just use mozzarella cheese...well first, because that would just be cheesy garlic bread.  Second, Muenster cheese, although quite creamy and delicious, is not all stringy like mozzarella and is not nearly as "chewy".

If you have a favorite soup or sandwich recipe (or both) be sure to come back and link it up Monday, Nov. 4th.  We'd love to see what you've made!

In the meantime, check back here next Monday to see what Heather from The Beating Hearth is making!