Butternut Squash Soup

 

I wanted to try this butternut squash recipe from Ruth Reichl's My Kitchen Year cookbook.  She is my number one favorite food writer and I have every book she has ever written.

I believe this is going to become my "go-to" butternut squash soup recipe.  In the past I have pretty much always made this Cream of Butternut Squash Soup which is really good but this recipe is so light and simple.  Not just in how it's made but because it doesn't have added cream, sherry, etc. the beautiful fresh flavor of the squash is the star of the show. 

Aside from a little olive oil, salt and water these are the only ingredients to create this soup. Since everything is going to be pureéd you don't have to be particular about chopping the vegetables.

Sauté the aromatics in a little olive oil until tender.  Notice my last sentence..very to the point and boring.  Here is how Ruth instructs: "Slick the bottom of a casserole or Dutch oven with olive oil, add the vegetables, and let them tumble into tenderness, ......"  I really do enjoy her writing. (bold emphasis is mine)

 Add the squash and potato to the vegetables and add salt and water.

Cover and simmer until everything is soft.

 

In batches, transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and pureé until smooth.

Return to pot to re-heat. 

Serve with a drizzle of olive oil or balsamic vinegar.  I topped mine off with a little splash of Apple Balsamic that I bought at Vomfass in Scottsdale. Perfect.


Butternut Squash Soup
From My Kitchen Year - 136 Recipes that Saved My Life" by Ruth Reichl
Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:
1 stalk celery
2 carrots
1 yellow onion
1 pound butternut squash *
1/2 pound potato (preferably waxy like Yukon Gold)
salt
water

Mise en Place:

• roughly chop celery (I like to pull most of the strings off the stalk first)
• peel and roughly chop carrots
• roughly chop onion
• peel and cut the squash into 3/4 " pieces (butternut is easier to cut if you peel it first. Be sure to peel down to the bright orange flesh)
• peel and roughly chop the potato

Method:
Drizzle a little olive oil to cover the bottom of a Dutch oven.  Sauté the celery, carrots, and onion until tender, about 10 minutes.

Stir the squash and potato into the vegetables, add a couple teaspoons of Kosher salt and toss.  Bring 2-1/2 cups of water to boil in the microwave then add to the vegetables.  Cover and allow to simmer until all ingredients are soft.

Transfer the mixture, in batches, to a blender and pureé.  Be sure to cover the lid of the blender with a folded tea-towel in case their are any "explosions" - this is a hot mixture.  Return the pureé to a pot to re-heat.

Serve in bowls and drizzle with a little olive oil or Balsamic vinegar.

* you can use just about any winter squash. 

Applesauce from Scratch

A friend from church has an apple tree at her place in New Mexico and she brought a bunch to Sunday school to share.   I've been wanting to make my own applesauce for some time and this seemed to be a good batch to make it with.  They were tart, yet sweet enough.

I selected the easiest recipe I could find and it just so happened to be in this book by one of my favorite food authors, Ruth Reichl.

After coring, peeling and slicing the apples cover them with water.  Throw a couple sticks of cinnamon in the pot and add a good squeeze of lemon.

Let them simmer until the apples are very tender.



Remove the cinnamon sticks.  With a slotted spoon, transfer the apples to the bowl of the food processor (don't throw away the liquid!).  If you think the consistency is too thick you can add a little of the water.

NOTE:  Use the pulse option and check often so that you don't process it too much.




That's it!  Jar it up and stick it in the refrigerator.

That's all there is to it!  You can use as little or as many apples as you want with enough water to cover them.

You can add a little cinnamon if you like but mine was perfectly flavored with a hint of cinnamon from the sticks.  I also did not add any sugar.  It simply didn't need it but I suppose you could add some of you wanted.

I didn't need to add any of the cooking water either.





But it made a wonder hot, sipping drink (probably be great with a splash of Maker's Mark in it).