The Woods at Whippoorhill: Pumpkin Bisque

I recently hosted a fall brunch for my tea buddies. I wanted to continue the chance to reminisce about our trip to Biltmore during December 2020. I love a good theme. It makes party planning so much more fun. Easier, too! I knew I wanted to celebrate the traditional bounties of Fall. I also wanted to showcase my new ivy dishes. I began to look for things that fit nicely within those parameters, but I also drew inspiration from our food adventures at Biltmore!

Not surprisingly, we had the most amazing food on our trip. One of my standout favorites was a pumpkin bisque. I jokingly asked the waiter for the recipe. Instead, he gave me the chef's business card. I emailed him, and he graciously provided me with all the recipes I requested! Granted, they were written for industrial use, but they were helpful in my looking at other recipes and adapting them to fit the way I remembered each dish. So these are actually my adaptations. Here is the menu for the tea. Today I'm sharing the recipe for the pumpkin bisque.

Falling for Ivy Brunch

Scones Course

Cheddar Apple Scones with Homemade Apple Butter

and Conecuh Sausage

Spiced Caramel Apple Tea

Savory Course

Fall Inspired Mixed Green Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

Pumpkin Bisque with Heavy Cream, Toasted Pine Nuts, and Sage Garnish

Bacon, Pear, and Fig Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Choice of Spiced Pear or Apple Cranberry Tea

Dessert Course

S'mores Tart

Chocolate Supreme Tea

Pumpkin Bisque

2 large Butternut squashes (about 3.5 pounds before peeling), peeled and cubed

2 red bell peppers, seeded and quartered

1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped

6 sprigs fresh thyme (whole)

4 TBSP olive oil, divided

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 large sweet onion, chopped

4 cups chicken broth

6 fresh sage leaves

1 cup heavy cream, divided

toasted pine nuts for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with Pam. Place pumpkin, bell peppers, apple, in a large bowl. Toss with 2 TBSP olive oil. Pour onto prepared baking sheet. Add thyme sprigs. Bake in oven for 45 minutes or until fork tender. Allow to cool. Remove bell pepper skins. Set out heavy cream to come to room temp.

While the pumpkin is roasting, toast pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium low heat, stirring constantly. Toast until a light brown. Remove to a cool plate. Spread out and allow to cool.

Heat remaining 2 TBSP of olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, cook, stirring occasionally until it is tender. Stir in roasted vegetables and chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer until veggies are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup heavy cream. Use an immersion blender to puree. Season with salt and pepper. If too thick, thin with more chicken broth. Serve while warm. Garnish with a tablespoon of heavy cream and toasted pine nuts.

Here's what the veggies look like before pureeing.

This is a picture of my soup at the Stable Cafe at Biltmore. While mine is a little prettier, this was delicious, and the inspiration for mine!

I visited Beth and David at Smith-Byrd Tea Room in Prattville about a week before I hosted this tea. I took my menu with me, and David helped me pick the perfect teas for each course. I think this is the spiced pear I had with my savory course.