Butternut Cider Bisque

Okay, so this is one of my blog posts that has a long involved back-story, and since there is nobody here to tell me to cut to the chase except for the dog (who can't talk) and the Southern husband (who is WAY too smart to say anything of this nature) I'm going to go ahead and tell it.  Take comfort in the fact that it will be broken up with some entertaining pictures.  At least I think they are entertaining.

So to start at the beginning, a while back I was invited to take a series of pictures of chefs from restaurants in our area.  For a food groupie like me, this was a fabulous assignment, and I met a bunch of terrifically talented people this way (and got to sample some rocking good food along the way.)  Here's the first chef I photographed for this project:

Chef Chris Calcagno.  I know, it was a hard assignment, but someone had to do it.

Anyway.

Part of the assignment was to photograph each chef holding a copy of their favorite cookbook, which worked out to be double bonus points for me, because what better recommendation can a cookbook have then to be a chef's favorite?  So of course, I followed the directions and asked Chef Calcagno to please bring a copy of his favorite cookbook to be photographed with.  He selected THE NEW RED LION INN COOKBOOK.

Now on this particular shoot the Southern husband was helping me.  Which he is great at, and which has the added benefit of me being able to order him around and not get any back-talk.  Anyway, he was browsing through this book while I was doing the rest of the shoot, and he must have liked what he saw because lo and behold, I came home to find my very own copy sitting on my desk a couple of weeks later.  (Which made me feel a little tiny bit guilty about the whole ordering-around thing.)

I promise there is a point to all of this and here it is: this fabulous butternut soup is taken from this great cookbook.  It's a thick, delicious soup that involves cooking up chopped onion, carrots, celery, fresh thyme and a whole lot of butternut squash in a mixture of chicken broth and cider, and then pureeing the whole thing.  When you have it all nice and smooth and pureed, the recipe gives you the choice of thinning it down with either more broth, more cider or heavy cream.  I had about 1/4 cup of heavy cream in my fridge and it seemed like destiny to  me, but honestly, it would have been pretty much close to perfect even without that.  I swirled a teeny bit of cinnamon on the top and got this:

But I couldn't leave well enough alone.  No, I knew in my heart of hearts that there was one more thing that could push this soup over the edge to true greatness.

Yep.  Popcorn.  (Red Lion Inn people, if you are out there, I hope I didn't just horrify you.)  But it brought just the right amount of salty crunch to this sweet and scrumptious soup.  I put the popcorn in a bowl right there on the table and we scattered it on top as we ate...the popcorn will sink pretty quickly as it absorbs the soup, but trust me when I say this is a GOOD thing.

I will be quiet now and give you the recipe already.

Butternut Cider Bisque, adapted from the New Red Lion Inn Cookbook

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, sliced
• 1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into cubes
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups apple cider
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (optional but great)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Cinnamon sugar for garnish
• Popcorn for garnish (also optional and also great)

1. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat and saute onions, carrot and celery for about 5 minutes.  Add squash and thyme and saute, stirring, for another two minutes.

2. Add stock and cider and simmer until squash until very soft, about 30 minutes.  Remove from heat.

3. Puree with immersion blender or in blender until smooth.  Return soup to pot and add cream if using, and salt and pepper to taste.  Reheat over low heat.

4. Serve, garnished with cinnamon sugar.  Put popcorn on table for diners to add as desired.

Click here for printable recipe 

Roasted Vegetable Lasagne

I am always a little skeptical about whether lasagna is really, truly worth it. I mean, we've all had it one million times, and it's always kinda the same. But every once in a while I run across a recipe that restores my faith in lasagna, and this was one of them. Roasted vegetable lasagna that involves a sauce made of roasted tomatoes and a filling that includes roasted butternut squash and sauteed spinach.

It all comes together for a beautiful layered look that melts the heart of even a lasagna-doubter like myself...

I used lovely fresh mozzarella and ricotta and that helped (and in case you have not heard me go on and on about my adventures in ricotta-making, please click here. Or you can do what normal people do and get your fresh ricotta at Whole Foods.)

So if you are looking for a delicious and different lasagna, this ones for you. It also uses those no-boil noodles that I never think are going to work but they always magically DO! It's one of the great mysteries in life.

Roasted Vegetable Lasagne, adapted from Everyday Foods

14 plum tomatoes (about 3 pounds total), halved lengthwise
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for baking dish
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and sliced inch thick
3 bunches (about 2 1/2 pounds total) spinach, trimmed and washed
1 container (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg
9 to 12 no-boil lasagna noodles (from a 9-ounce package)
1 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into pieces

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss tomatoes with 2 tablespoons oil, oregano, and two-thirds the garlic; season with salt and pepper. Brush another rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon oil. Arrange squash in one layer; season with salt and pepper. Roast squash until tender, about 20 minutes, and tomatoes until slightly shriveled, about 40 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. In a blender or food processor, puree the tomato halves. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.

2. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add remaining garlic and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Gradually add 2 pounds spinach and toss until wilted, about 4 minutes. Transfer spinach to a strainer and press to release liquid. When cool, chop spinach and season with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, mix ricotta, cup Parmesan, egg, and nutmeg until smooth; season with salt and pepper.

3. Lightly oil a 9-inch square baking dish. Spread one-quarter the tomato sauce in dish, top with 3 to 4 noodles, breaking to fit as needed. Top with half the ricotta mixture, the squash, one-quarter the tomato sauce, and 3 to 4 noodles. Top with remaining ricotta mixture, cooked spinach, one-quarter the sauce, and 3 to 4 noodles. Top with remaining sauce, 1/2 pound mozzarella, and cup Parmesan.

4. Set rack in middle of oven. Bake lasagna on a rimmed baking sheet until golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Let lasagna cool 15 minutes before serving.

Click here for printable recipe

Butternut Chai Soup

I fell head over heels in love with chai tea several years ago when my friend S took me by the hand, led me into Starbucks, bought me a chai tea latte, put it in my hands and said, "Trust me." Ever since then I have been a complete sucker for anything with the word "chai" in the title. And so when I ran across this recipe for butternut soup cooked with chai spices...well, they had me at hello. When you think about it, it is kind of genius...butternut is a close cousin to pumpkin, chai spices include a lot of the sweet and spicy flavors you find in pumpkin pie...so it kind of was a match made in heaven.

And to (literally) top it all off, the recipe also calls for a quick and wonderful topping that you make by stirring together a little creme fraiche, a little apple cider and a little cinnamon. Creme fraiche is usually in whatever part of your supermarket where they keep the refrigerated fancy things, but if you have trouble finding it, sour cream will work for this too. You drizzle a little bit on the top of your soup just before serving it, and if you want to get super elegant you can take the tip of a knife and swirl it gently through the creme to make a little design. It's kind of like Spin Art (remember that, all you children of the 70's?).

Anyway, I found this delicious little recipe at the Whole Foods website. Whole Foods used to be my supermarket of choice before Fairway moved to town, and then I heartlessly deserted them without so much as a backwards glance. But I still do love their website, which has a load of creative and healthy recipes. And if you don't have a Fairway near you, Whole Foods is definitely the next best thing.

So there you go, butternut chai soup. If anyone comes across a recipe for chai pizza, call me.

BUTTERNUT CHAI SOUP

• 1/2 cup crème fraîche
• 1/4 cup apple cider
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup chopped white onion
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 3 cups (1-inch cubes) butternut squash
• 3/4 cup chopped fennel
• 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup apple cider
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. First, make the apple cream: combine crème fraîche, apple cider and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate to allow the flavors to combine.

2. For the soup, melt the butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 6 minutes. Stir in cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, ginger and cardamom. Cook until fragrant, stirring constantly, about 1 minute.

3. Stir in butternut squash, fennel, chicken stock and apple cider. Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook until the butternut squash is tender, about 15 minutes. Take from heat and let cool.

4. Blend the soup in small batches until a smooth purée is obtained. Return to pot and stir in milk and salt. Bring soup to a simmer. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more spice if desired.

5. Serve soup with a generous drizzle of apple cream.

Butternut Cheddar Soup

I do love a nice simple soup for supper, don't you? On a cold winter's night? When the wind is blowing outside, but you are safe and warm inside in your cozy little kitchen? I do, and this is a perfect one for that -- quick and easy and creamy and comforting. It is the perfect blend of butternut squash and sharp cheddar cheese, mmmmmmm. Some warm crusty bread, a glass of red wine...I don't think there's a fancy restaurant anywhere that can top this.

So here's what you do. Get your hands on a nice piece of butternut squash. If you are really lucky, your supermarket will either have peeled butternut halves that you only have to cut up into chunks, or they will have already peeled and cut up butternut squash chunks. If they do, go for it. Yes, it is more expensive, but you only go around once and you might not want to spend your time cutting up rock hard butternut squash. Or maybe you do, in which case, go for it. Anyway, you simmer the squash chunks in some nice chicken broth until it is soft and tender. Then you puree it in a blender until it is smooth and put it back in the pot. Stir in some sour cream, some shredded cheddar, a little bit of butter and some salt and pepper. Stir it up until the cheese is melted and voila! Soup heaven.

So there you have it. My last piece of advice for you: Vermont cheddar. You know how I feel about Vermont...or if you don't, you can click here to find out. You can also click here. Cabot cheddar is just about as good as it gets - trust me on this one. And on that note...here's the recipe.

BUTTERNUT CHEDDAR SOUP, from the folks at Cabot Vermont

• 2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Cut chives for garnish

1. Place squash and broth in large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until squash is tender, about 20 minutes.

2. Remove from heat and cool. Puree in blender until smooth.

3. Return to saucepan over medium low heat. Add cheese, cayenne, butter and sour cream and stir until heated through -- do not boil.

4. Taste and season to your liking with salt and pepper. Garnish with chives and serve.

Click here for printable recipe

Ravioli with Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

'Tis the season of the butternut squash, and oh how I love it. I've already rhapsodized about this wonderful roasted butternut dip, and of course butternut is just awesome baked up with some oil oil and herbs. But this recipe today uses it as the base for a pasta sauce -- in this case ravioli. Creative, right? This is another one I found on the Everyday Foods website, and I'm pretty much sticking with their version in the recipe below, but I do have to admit that I got to skip the hardest part of the whole thing, which is cutting up the usually hard as a rock butternut. My beloved Fairway supermarket always has butternut already peeled and chopped and ready for me to roast. And those times that I have actually set food in another supermarket, I have also seen peeled and chopped butternut for sale there, too. Yes, it is definitely more expensive than tackling the butternut preparation yourself. But trust me, it's worth it.

Anyway, once you get past the butternut-chopping, it is all an easy downhill cruise from there. You roast those happy little butternut chunks with some garlic and sage, and then whiz them in your handy food processor with a little bit of light cream and water. Season it as you like and you have the most wonderful and different pasta sauce. I tossed mine with some little beef ravioli and sprinkled it with chopped walnuts and chopped fresh sage, but go crazy with your own ideas. Tortellini, pappardale, roasted pistachios, chopped parsley....you really can't go wrong.

So, happy butternut season...yum, yum.

RAVIOLI WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH PASTA SAUCE, from Everyday Food

• 1 medium butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 5 cloves garlic, peel on
• 1 cup half-and-half
• Pasta (ravioli or any short pasta), about 1/2 pound depending on what kind you are using.
  
• Your choice of toppings, such as grated parmesan cheese, chopped toasted walnuts, finely chopped fresh sage, etc etc etc
  

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using a large, sharp knife, trim ends; halve squash crosswise to separate bulb from neck. Peel with a vegetable peeler. Cut both pieces in half lengthwise. With a spoon, scoop out seeds; discard. Or, do like I do and pick up the already peeled and chopped butternut at your favorite supermarket.
2. Cut squash into 2-inch chunks; transfer to a small rimmed baking sheet. Toss with oil and sage; season generously with salt and pepper. Scatter garlic around squash. Roast until squash is very tender, about 40 minutes, tossing once halfway through. Remove skin from garlic.
3. Transfer squash and garlic to a food processor; puree. With motor running, add half-and-half through the feed tube; process until smooth. Add 1 to 2 cups water; continue to process until smooth, adding water to thin if necessary. Season again generously with salt.
4. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain pasta and return to pot. Pour sauce over pasta; toss to coat. Add some pasta water to thin sauce if necessary. Serve with desired toppings.

Click here for printable recipe

Roasted Butternut Dip

It's October, and you know what that means, right?

(I can hear both my dad and my Southern husband yelling in unison, "IT'S FOOTBALL SEASON!!!!")

Well, yes it is. And with football season come football snacks. Because if you are going to hunker down at 1pm and not come up for air until 7pm, you need some sustenance to keep you going. I am certainly not beyond dumping the Family Size bag of nacho cheese Doritos into a bowl and calling it a day, but amid all the salty/cheesy/Day-Glo-colored stuff I do like to sneak in something modestly healthy every once in a while that can hold its own with the other snacks.

This delicious dip is one of those things, and I promise you, the hardest part of the whole thing is cutting open the dang butternut. Those things are tough, and it would be really convenient to have a linebacker on call to cut the squash in half for you, but maybe you can convince whomever is watching the football in your house to chop it open for you before kick-off. Unless that person is you, in which case...grab your most serious knife and go for it!

In my case, I totally lucked out this weekend because my beloved market, Fairway, had butternut squash already cut in half, seeded and peeled for me and packaged up in adorable half-butternut bundles. How great is that? The rest of the ingredients for this super-simple dip were already in my pantry -- onion, garlic, a little sour cream (okay, that was in the fridge, before you start worrying about me), nutmeg and red pepper. I picked up some Stacy's Pita Chips (LOVE those. Try them if you haven't already.) and I was ready to roll. An hour later: warm, spicy, creamy, delicious and actually HEALTHY football game snacking was going on in my family room.

Okay, sports fans and those who love them, over to you. And remember, it isn't whether you win or lose...oh, wait a minute.

ROASTED BUTTERNUT DIP

1 (2-pound) butternut squash

1 onion, peeled and cut into quarters

4 garlic cloves, unpeeled

1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil

3 tablespoons sour cream

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds.

2. Brush cut sides of squash halves, cut sides of onion quarters, and garlic cloves with oil. Arrange squash halves, cut sides down, on a jelly-roll pan. Put onion quarters and garlic cloves on pan. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until tender. Cool slightly.

3. Scoop the cooked squash out of the peel and put in food processor with onions. Squeeze garlic cloves so that pulp goes into food processor and blend until smooth.

4. Add sour cream and remaining ingredients and pulse to combine. Serve warm with pita chips. Whatever you do, don't block the tv screen.

Click here for Printable Recipe