October 9, 2011: Cream of Squash Soup Recipe

Earlier this month I shared with you a picture of how I used my unusual squashes as an autumn table decoration. Well…I just couldn’t allow all those good gourds to go to waste. I selected the acorn squash and whipped up this tasty soup one night for dinner. Because the texture is not indicative of squash, even my picky husband ate it without complaint.

Cream of Squash Soup

1 acorn squash (or other type of firm fleshed squash such as butternut)

1 cup cauliflower florets

3 sprigs fresh dill weed

3 – 4 cups chicken broth, divided

2 T. butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ t. nutmeg

½ t. cayenne

½ cup heavy cream

Cut the squash in half; scoop out seeds. Cut into large chunks. Add squash, cauliflower and dill to a sauce pot. Cover with chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and boil gently for about 20 minutes, until squash and cauliflower are soft. Remove from heat. When cool enough to handle, remove peel from squash. Add squash and cauliflower in the broth to a blender or food processor; puree.

Meanwhile, in the same pot melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute, just until garlic is softened. Add the pureed squash mixture, nutmeg and cayenne. Heat through. Add cream and cook over low just until heated all the way through. Garnish with sprigs of dill, cracked black pepper and swirls of cream.

Tip: To make a design with the cream, gently dribble cream in circles across the top of the soup in a bowl. Use the tip of a knife or a toothpick to run through the cream, making a design.

For a bit of crunch, top soup with freshly made croutons.

October 6, 2011: Squash Recipes

Of course, one thing you’ll see a lot of at the grocery store and farmer’s markets at this time of year are various types of squash. Personally I love squash of any kind (if you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m not very picky when it comes to food), however my husband had to eat it daily when he was a kid and his mom grew it by the truckload in their garden so he doesn’t get quite as excited as I do about the colors and shapes and textures of squashes.

I have a good friend at the grocery store, Brian, who manages the produce department. He let me know of some amazing, beautiful squashes that were available and I couldn’t resist buying some! So far, I’ve just used them as decorations on my fall table, as you can see here - but they should last for months so I consider it a very frugal way to decorate for autumn.

Brian recommends that when making squash, you use really good quality ingredients. His simple recipe:

Baked Squash

1 squash, your choice of variety such as acorn, spaghetti, butternut

Extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt (according to Brian, sea salt really brings out the sweetness of the squash)

Freshly ground black pepper

Basically, you just wash the squash and cut it in half. Scoop out the seeds and strings. Place the halves cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet greased with olive oil. Bake for 45 – 60 minutes, until soft. Scoop out the cooked flesh and add olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.

If you want a bit of variety you can add a tablespoon of maple syrup or substitute butter for the olive oil. A firm, tangy cheese like shaved Parmesan or a handful of toasted pecans or walnuts are also great complements to the slightly sweet flavor of squash.