THE SQUASH COURT

Recipe #3:

2 tsp olive oil

1 cup chopped onions

1 tsp minced garlic

1 Tbsp grated gingerroot

1/2 tsp ground cumin

6 cups peeled, cubed butternut squash

2 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cups unsweetened carrot juice

1/4 cup frozen pineapple juice concentrate

1 tsp grated orange zest

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Light sour cream (optional)

Heat olive oil in a large, non-stick soup pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Cook and stir until onions begin to soften, about 3 minutes.

Stir in gingerroot and cumin, and cook for 30 more seconds. Add squash and remaining ingredients, except sour cream. Mix well. Bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 12-14 minutes, or until squash is tender.

Working in batches, transfer soup to a blender of food processor and puree until smooth. Return pureed soup to pot. Serve hot soup with a dollop of light sour cream in the centre, if desired.

Makes 6 servings:

Per serving: 102 calories

Eat, Shrink & Be Merry! By Janet & Greta Podleski, pg 54

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Recipe #2

10 cups vegetable stock

3 lb (1.4 kg) butternut squash

2 red pepper, roasted and peeled

1 garlic bulb

4 Roma tomatoes

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 tsp salt

1 yellow onion, diced

2 Tbsp ancho chili powder

1 tsp ground coriander

2 Tbsp minced sage

zest and juice of 1 orange

1 tsp chipotle puree

cracked pepper to taste

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted

Oven-Roast Tomatoes:

Pre-heat oven to 400 F. Halve and seed the peppers. Place them cut-side down on an oiled or parchment-lined baking sheet and roast until the skins puff up and blister (about 15 minutes). Transfer peppers to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 10 minutes. Remove wrap, cool slightly and peel away the seared skin.

Preheat oven to 375 F. To make an easy job of prepping and roasting squash, cut it in half lengthwise, scrape out the seeds and place cut side down on an oiled baking tray. Bake in a 375 F oven until a sharp knife easily slides through the flesh. Cool and scoop out the soft flesh.

Separate garlic cloves and remove skins. Core the tomatoes. Toss the garlic and tomatoes with 2 tsp oil and 1/2 tsp salt. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast until the garlic is golden and tomato skins begin to char (about 20 minutes).

Note: the peppers, tomatoes and garlic can be roasted on the same baking sheet at the same time. The squash should be placed on a separate pan as it will take much longer to roast.

Heat the remaining oil in a soup pot and add the onion and remaining salt. Sauté until translucent. Add the chili powder, coriander and sage; sauté 5 more minutes. Roughly chop all of the roasted vegetables and add them to the pot along with enough stock to cover. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.

Puree the soup until smooth using a hand blender or food processor. Gently reheat the soup to a simmer and add the orange zest, juice, chipotle puree and more stock to thin if necessary. Season with salt and cracked pepper. Simmer several minutes to blend the flavours and serve hot, garnished with toasted pumpkin seeds.

May also serve with toasted tortillas:

4 corn tortillas, yellow or blue

Slice each tortilla into long strips 1/4” thick. Toss gently with light coating oil, pinch salt and chili powder (optional). Spread strips out on a baking sheet & bake in 350 F. oven until crisp (5 min). Remove from oven & let cool until ready to serve.

Rebar, Modern Food Cookbook,

A. Alsterberg & W. Urbanowicz, pgs 134, 136

CURRIED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITH CILANTRO YOGURT

I'm adding a few butternut squash soup recipes. I can't remember which is our favourite, but I think I usually make all 3 each autumn...

Recipe #1

Some nice garnishes for the soup are freshly grated nutmeg, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, a sprinkle of paprika, or Buttered Cinnamon-Sugar Croutons (recipe follows).

4 Tbsp unsalted butter

2 medium shallots, minced (about 4 Tbsp)

3 pounds butternut squash (about 1 large), unpeeled, squash halved lengthwise,

seeds and stringy fibers scraped with spoon and reserved (about 1/4 cup),

and each half cut into quarters

Table salt

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tsp dark brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp curry powder

Heat butter in large Dutch oven over medium-low heat until foaming subsides; add shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add squash scrapings and seeds and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and butter turns saffron colour, about 4 minutes. Add 6 cups water and 1 1/2 tsp salt to Dutch oven and bring to boil over high heat; reduce heat to medium-low, place squash cut-side down in steamer basket, and lower basket into pot. Cover and steam until squash is completely tender, about 30 minutes.

While squash is steaming, stir together:

1/4 cup plain yogurt

2 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro leaves

1 tsp lime juice

1/8 tsp salt

Off heat, use tongs to transfer squash to rimmed baking sheet; reserve steaming liquid. When cool enough to handle, use large spoon to scrape flesh from skin into medium bowl; discard skin.

Pour reserved steaming liquid through mesh strainer into second bowl; discard solids in strainer. Rinse and dry Dutch oven.

In blender, puree squash and reserved liquid in batches, pulsing on low until smooth. Add curry powder to squash while pureeing in blender. Transfer puree to Dutch oven; stir in cream and brown sugar and heat over medium-low heat until hot. Add salt to taste. Garnish each bowl of soup with a dollop of cilantro yogurt. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 cups, serving 8 as a first course

BUTTERED CINNAMON-SUGAR CROUTONS

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Remove crusts from 2 slices thick-cut white sandwich bread and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (you should have about 1 1/4 cups). Toss cubes with 1 Tbsp melted butter. Combine 2 tsp sugar with 1/2 tsp cinnamon and toss bread cubes with mixture. Spread cubes in even layer on parchment-lined baking sheet; bake until crisp, 8-10 minutes.

Cook’s Illustrated, Fall Entertaining 2007, page 41