Choose a nice unblemished pumpkin, weighing 6 to 8 lbs. Cut out a lit in the top - a large hole through which a ladle can pass easily. With a spoon, remove and discard all the seeds and the fibres surrounding them. Fill the inside of the pumpkin with small cubes of dry brad and shredded cheese, salt and pepper, and 1 or 2 garlic cloves, finely hopped. Then pour in some fairly liquid heavy cream - enough to cover the bread - to about an inch from the top. Put the lid back on the pumpkin wrap it in aluminium foil and bake for 2 hours in a preheated oven at 375F. Taking the pumpkin out of the oven can be tricky because the skin will have softened during cooking. Be careful not to let it collapse. Remove the foil and let the pumpkin drain for a while. Then put it in a deep dish and remove the lid. with a wooden spoon carefully scrape away the cooked flesh, , not too close to the skin and mix it with the cream and bread. For a smooth soup, the mixture can be pureed. Ladle this thick and delicious soup into warmed bowls.

(basic recipe from: Recipes from a Provençal Kitchen)
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