Serves: 4 Preparation Time:  30 minutes Cooking Time: 1½ hrs Oven Temperature: 180°C Oven Setting: Fan Forced 500g jap, kent or jarradale pumpkin, seeds removed and cut into wedges 2 cups Beurré Bosc pear, peeled and cut into cubes 1 cored Red Anjou pear, sliced finely for sautéing and brushed with lemon juice to prevent browning 2 tsp flaked salt 4 cups of chicken stock or water Olive oil, for sautéing pear slices as a garnish 2 tsp fresh ginger juice (grate ginger and squeeze juice) 1 cinnamon quill ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper 4 lemon thyme or mint sprigs METHOD Preheat the oven. Place the pumpkin on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil and bake till soft, about 45 minutes. When the pumpkin is cooked, scrape the flesh from the skin and place it, along with the pear cubes, stock or water, cinnamon quill and salt into a heavy pot. Bring to a rolling boil. Cover and simmer on a medium to low flame for 15-20 minutes. When all the ingredients are soft, remove from the heat, remove the cinnamon quill and using a stick blender, blend the ingredients to a puree. Place back on the heat and adjust the seasoning as the soup warms up. Heat some olive oil in a pan and gently brown the pear slices and set aside. Pour the soup into individual bowls and top with the sautéd pear slices, a generous squeeze of ginger juice, crushed black pepper and a lemon thyme or mint sprig. Serve warm.