Gingered Squash And Ham Soup With Cornmeal Dumplings

Halve squash lengthwise with a sharp knife and discard seeds and strings. Peel squash and cut into 1/2 inch pieces.

In a 4-quart saucepan simmer squash, garlic, ginger root, and stock, partially covered, until squash is very tender, about 20 minutes.

In a blender puree mixture in batches and return to pan. Stir in tomatoes, ham, and salt and pepper to taste. Soup may be prepared up to this point 2 days ahead and chilled, covered.

Into a bowl sift together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt and blend in butter until mixture resembles meal. Add milk, egg, and chives and stir until batter is just combined. Bring soup to a bare simmer.

Drop batter by rounded tablespoons onto soup and simmer, covered, until dumplings are just cooked through, about 12 minutes.