Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

I've had a hankering for butternut squash soup for the last week or so. But I'm trying to learn to eat food in season and not just because I want it - which also means learning when things are in season and when tye've been imported from Chile. Imagine my delight when I saw reasonably priced local and organic butternut squash at the Co-op this week! Here's what I made:

2 medium butternut squash
put in oven at 400 until soft enough to cut in half (about 15 minutes)
cut in half and lay cut side down, roast at 400 until squash meat is soft (an hour or more)
*tip: line pastry pan with foil to avoid run off into oven and onto pan

2 medium onions, coarsely sliced
3-5 garlic cloves, minced
1 generous tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 generous teaspoon curry powder
a few tablespoons olive oil
optional, add a couple chopped tart apples
saute the above until onions are transluscent
add 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
heat until simmering

puree cooked squash and sauteed mixture working in batches and adding up to 3 more cups stock so that everything gets smooth

transfer everything into stock pot on medium heat

add to stock pot:
2/3 cup sherry
1 teaspoon salt
pinch white pepper
fresh-ground black pepper to taste
pinch cayenne
additional pinch of curry if desired

add stock until desired consistency is reached (about 5-7 cups throughout recipe)
when hot (don't boil) add a couple cups Asiago or comparable grated cheese

enjoy for the week or with a big dinner party!

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