Is it a fruit or a vegetable?

Butternut squash, a winter squash, is a fruit believe it or not! It can be roasted, pureed for soup or mashed into muffins and breads. It can be served either sweet or savory. It is a great winter soup and would be a good way to top off the season.

My favorite soup in the world is Butternut Squash Soup. It has a velvety, creamy texture and can be made from simple ingredients. The most difficult part of using a Butternut Squash is peeling it and I have found a fool-proof way to do this. See step one in the recipe below.

 

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

One butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2" pieces, about 5-6 Cups

One Qt. Vegetable broth or stock

One can unsweetened coconut milk (14oz.)

2 - 4 Tb olive oil

2 shallots, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

One leek sliced thin (white part only)

Curry powder - 1tsp. dry

Tumeric - 1tsp. dry

Ginger - 1 tsp. dry

Salt to taste

1. To peel and seed squash: punch with tip of knife several times, put in microwave for 4 minutes on each side. Remove, cut in half horizontally and let cool. When cool, peel, than cut lengthwise, take out seeds then chop into 1/2” pieces.

2. Cook shallots, garlic, and leek with a tiny bit of seasonings (curry, tumeric, ginger) in the  oil using a heavy sauce pan or pot over medium heat, stirring, until all are softened. 

3. Add cubed squash and salt and saute until squash softens, about 6 or so minutes.  Add broth and coconut milk and simmer, covered, until squash is very tender,  about 20 - 25 minutes.

4. Puree soup with immersion blender or in blender - work in small batches and be very cautious with the hot liquid. Puree until smooth.  Be careful - hot! 

5. Put into the pot to keep warm, taste and re-season. 

Serve with toasted squash seeds or croutons; rice or quinoa.

Enjoy!

Trendy or not

When I was a caterer we had to be on the cutting edge of food trends. We wouldn't dare serve anything that was "out". I remember when I first started my company quiche was all the rage and then suddenly, poof! - gone! No one would dare mention its name for a very long time.


Food presentation was always a priority as well.  We went from arranging each pea pod and each tiny veggie on a dinner plate so that the entree became a work of art (try that for 100 plates!)to food balanced on itself so that it looked like taking the first bite would tumble the whole thing into a heap!  In trendy restaurants today you get the whole gamut.  Form vs. Function...

I have always loved comfort foods and was so delighted when regional American foods came in - the ultimate comfort foods - because they were less pretentious and more like the foods I grew up on in my hometown of Los Angeles.  At my house we ate pot roast, meatloaf, baked chicken, spaghetti (not called pasta then!) and other pretty basic dishes.  I loved every bite.  My mom, who was a gourmet and who appreciated foods from all over the world, cooked simple, well-balanced meals. 

My recipes range from soup to nuts - some simple, some down-home and some from recipes that focus on the unusual and international. If you have a taste for something you want to share, you are so welcome to share.

Today I would like to share one of my favorites:

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

One butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2" pieces, about 5-6 Cups
One Qt. Chicken broth or stock
2 - 4 Tb butter, unsalted
2 shallots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 or 2 star anise, ground (careful:  less is more)
Ground ginger to taste
Salt to taste

Serve with croutons or toasted squash seeds on the side.

Cook shallots and garlic with a tiny bit of anise in the  butter in a heavy sauce pan over medium heat, stirring, until shallots are softened.  Add cubed squash and salt and saute until squash softens, about 6 or so minutes.  Add broth and simmer, covered, until squash is very tender,  about 20 - 25 minutes.

Puree soup in blender working in small batches with the hot liquid, until smooth.  Be careful - hot!  Put into a fresh pot to keep warm, taste and re-season.  Serve with toasted squash seeds or croutons.