Pumpkin Bisque........Is it fall already?

I went into the grocery store today to pick up a couple of things and when I walked into the produce department the first thing I saw were PUMPKINS! Suddenly my brain was screaming, NO, NOT YET! Where did the summer go?
 It has just dawned on me that fall is less than two weeks away. Going from one season to another, I need some warning, just don't throw some pumpkins out there and make me have a panic attack for Pete's sake, it hasn't even been chilly here yet! So with autumn rushing at us I thought I would share with you my Pumpkin Bisque so that when you see those pumpkins you have a little ammunition for them!
Fall is maybe my favorite season of the year. When the leaves start to change and you wake up to frost on the ground, leaves rustling and the smell of a fireplace lingering in the morning air, its a wonderful time of the year. Time for making apple butter, fruitcakes, hearty stews and belly warming soups.
You can use pumpkin for this soup but any good winter squash will work just fine like butternut, acorn and the cushaw. I especially like the cushaw, a striped crook neck winter squash which is very hearty and will last you all winter and sometimes till the next harvest if it is stored right.
So one bright sunny crisp fall day put a pot of this on the stove and have this delicious soup for dinner with some great bread, a nice salad of bitter greens and a great glass of wine, you will be glad you did. Enjoy...........

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter
4 cloves garlic chopped
3 leeks sliced and rinsed
2 stalks celery diced
1 large onion diced
6 cups pumpkin or other winter squash
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp fresh thyme
1 tbsp fresh sage
2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
2 cups heavy cream or half n half
1/2 cup brown sugar
Creme fraiche
Fresh chives

Directions:

In large soup pot melt butter and saute garlic, leeks, celery and onions until soft. Add pumpkin, bay leaves, thyme, sage, chicken stock, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Cook until veggies are soft. Add heavy cream and puree soup. Adjust seasonings as needed and serve at once. Soup is great with a dollop of creme fraiche and a few snipped chives.