Moroccan Spiced Pumpkin Soup with Kefir Yogurt-Cilantro Drizzle The small sugar pumpkin (or pie pumpkin) and the medium to large cheese pumpkin are the best varieties for this soup. 2 pounds fresh pumpkin, cut into roughly 4 x 5-inch wedges 1 tablespoon clarified butter 1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 large leeks, cleaned and sliced (white and pale green parts only) 2 cups unsalted vegetable stock + additional stock as needed 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg, or to taste 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, or to taste 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves, or to taste 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon vanilla Salt and pepper to taste Kefir yogurt-cilantro drizzle (see recipe below) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush cut sides of pumpkin with butter. Arrange flesh-side down in a large roasting pan; cover pan tightly with foil. Bake for 1 hour. Turn pumpkin pieces, return to oven and bake for 1 hour longer, until flesh is very tender when pierced with a fork. Remove foil and let pumpkin cool until it can be handled. Reserve any liquid that has accumulated in pan. Scoop pumpkin flesh into a bowl. Heat oil in a heavy saucepan. Add leeks and cook over medium-high heat until they are translucent. Add pumpkin flesh, any pumpkin liquid, the stock, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves; bring to a simmer. Puree mixture until very smooth. Strain through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan; bring to a simmer. Do not boil. Add cream, lemon juice and vanilla. If necessary, adjust consistency of soup by adding more stock. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle yogurt-cilantro mixture over each serving. Serves 8. KEFIR YOGURT-CILANTRO DRIZZLE Kefir yogurt can be difficult to locate, though it can sometimes be found in Mediterranean or Middle Eastern markets. It is thicker than traditional plain yogurt, but a similar consistency can be achieved with plain yogurt by placing it in a cheesecloth-lined fine-mesh sieve and letting it drain overnight in the refrigerator. 1 cup kefir yogurt (if not available use any kind of plain yogurt) 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 cup cilantro leaves Salt and pepper to taste Combine the yogurt, lemon juice and cilantro in a blender. Blend until smooth. If using the kefir yogurt, add a drizzle of water to thin it out; it tends to be very thick and hard to process in a blender. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a squeeze bottle. Yields approximately 1¼ cups. By Jeff Hollinger, special to the San Francisco Chronicle, November 20, 2002 middle eastern recipe index christina m k al-sudairy subscribe!