Sweet little Buttercup... oh I mean Butternut

You know what we need when it's so cold out?  We need a food that 's going to warm our bones and SOUP will certainly do the trick. It warmed us here in the frozen tundra of the End of the Rainbow Valley and I am sure it will warm you too.

As you can see we had  a bumper crop of Butternut Squash this year -

SO 

One  Butternut Squash Soup a la Mediterranean coming up...    



You'll need:

2 T extra-virgin olive oil

1 med onion, chopped

1 med carrot, peeled and sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 ½ lbs butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch pieces (7-8 c) 

6 c vegetarian stock
1-15 oz chickpeas drained and rinsed / Northern beans

1 t cumin
½ t turmeric
¼ t cinnamon

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

pinch of cayenne if you like a kick
2-3 c  spinach leaves

¼ c parsley

Crostini:

1/2 baguette, sliced diagonally  1/2-inch thick slices

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

2 T chopped fresh sage leaves

1 c (2 ounces) grated fontina cheese

Kosher salt

Directions:

In 8-quart stockpot, add butter and oil, melting  over medium-high heat.

Add onion & carrot, cook, stirring occasionally, until onion’s soft, 5 min. 

Stir in garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 sec.
Add squash and stock.

Bring mixture to boil add beans/chick peas
Add spices - cumin, turmeric and cinnamon

Continue to boil until vegetables are tender, about 20 min.
Add spinach stir 2 min to wilt

 Turn down heat but keep soup warm over low heat.

For the crostini: Put oven rack in center of oven.
 Preheat oven to 400  F. 
Arrange bread slices on baking sheet.
 Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sage. 
Sprinkle  cheese on top and season with salt, to taste. 
Bake until cheese melted and bread is light golden, about 6 to 8 min.

To serve, ladle soup into bowls
 Garnish with cheese crostini and sprinkle with parsley.

You should feel warmer.

Sex in the Garden...

Sometimes when you are not looking Nature is involved in a little hanky panky  ... and that's just what happened with our squash in the garden this year.  The end result is this unusual yellow/orange squash with green stripes.  Trust me we did not plant this...

It is pretty and has continued to change colors as it ages but it 's texture is a mix between delicata and acorn squash. It is really super sweet.  We have lots as you can see so it was time to try a new recipe...

                                                                  'Squash Fritters'

                   Actually the adapted recipe was really tasty and not bad in presentation either.

You will need:

2 c squash (baked)
2 eggs slightly beaten
1/2 med onion chopped
1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 c chopped parsley/ cilantro

First cook a med size squash by cutting it in half, removing seeds and sticking it in a 350 oven for about 20-30min/ til tender. Fork test it and scoop into a bowl discarding the skin.

Add eggs, chopped onions, shredded cheese followed by  bread crumbs and parsley. Blend everything.

Spoon out mixture into sprayed cupcake cooking tin.

Bake at 400 F for 20 minutes/ until top browns.  ( it took these 1/2 hour)

These would be great appetizers if you use a mini muffin tin ( yield 2 dozen)