Instructions: PUMPKIN: Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Cut pumpkin into sections and remove the peel, seeds and strands. Cut into bite-sized pieces. Place pumpkin in a large roasting pan and toss with oil, ginger and salt. Roast for 40 minutes until golden and softened.

BROTH PREP: About 15 minutes before pumpkin is cooked, rinse the udon noodles and set aside to drain. Wash the leek, bok choy and scallions.

Separate the leaves of the bok choy and cut diagonally into large bite-sized pieces. Trim the leek, halved it lengthwise; shred or finely slice. Trim the scallions and cut into 1/4-in pieces. Mince and measure the ginger.

BROTH: Mix together the broth, miso paste and soy sauce in a saucepan.

Stir in the noodles, bok choy, leek, pumpkin, ginger, spring onions and cook for 3 minutes until the noodles are heated through.

SERVE: Divide the soup into warmed serving bowls. Garnish with cilantro and drizzle sesame oil.

REVIEW: 30-Oct-99 It is a light and refreshing soup. The tender-crisp vegetables are balanced with soft and mellow ginger-squash.

OUR VERSION: We halved the recipe. PANTRY: orange skinned acorn squash; vacuum packed udon noodles with mushroom seasoning; toasted sesame seeds; miso bouillon; teriyaki sauce; garlic. Two baby bok choy. All else was the same.

PREPARATION: Halve acorn squash; remove seeds and strands. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a sheet of heavy-duty foil large enough to wrap the squash. (No oil.) Slide 2 slices of ginger and 2 cloves of garlic into the cavity. Wrap and puncture with two small vent slits to vent steam. Roast in moderate oven or gas grill (about 350F) for 30 mins.

Remove from oven. Open the packet to vent steam; allow squash to cool of own accord. Slice one half into wedges for the soup and reserve other halve for a salad.

BROTH: Miso bouillon and the mushroom seasoning packet in 3 cups of water.

Instead of soy sauce, we used 2 tablespoon teriyaki. We doubled the cilantro and added it to the soup to warm (rather than use as a garnish).

Instead of sesame seed oil, we garnished with toasted with a few sesame seeds.

NOTES : Udon noodles are available dried, frozen, or vacuum-packed. EACH:

this called for a miso broth and udon noodles. I found miso bouillon and ready to heat udon at Luckys supermarket here in southern California.

This recipe shows the original idea and Ive talked about what we did differently.

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