Yesterday I mentioned my cooking session with Louisa Shafia, author of the cookbook Lucid Food: Cooking For An Eco-Conscious Life (Ten Speed Press).
Since reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma I’ve been making a real effort to eat with the seasons-choosing what’s available locally right now over foods shipped in from other regions.
I don’t follow this principle to the letter. Bananas are pretty much never in season in Michigan to my knowledge; I still buy them once a month or so (more often when I’m in the mood for banana bread!) But as a general philosophy, eating with the rhythm of the season is the way to go: it’s healthier (you get fresher food with more nutrients intact), better for the environment (less fuel and other resources used to ship foods thousands of miles) and supportive of local farming communities.
So I was so excited to see a cookbook that actually divides up recipes by season! It makes meal planning much easier. And the recipes in Lucid Food are really yummy, simple, colorful and good for you. The book also has helpful information on growing your own food and composting, and helps you make sense of what it really means to eat organically, why buying local is great for you, the environment and your community and more.
Yesterday I made the Creamy Kuri Squash Soup that I’d loved so much during the class. I couldn’t actually find Kuri squash locally, so I picked up a buttercup squash and a turban squash.
Turban squash on left, buttercup squash on right. I have no idea why there’s a wolf sitting on my countertop, but he was good company so I let him stay.
In retrospect the buttercup squash was the better choice. It seemed to be less watery than the turban squash and the flavor was similar to a sweet potato.
Of course, the buttercup squash was also a lot harder to open. During our demonstration, Louisa took a cleaver, gave her squash a confident whack and the thing just split open. I however, have no cleaver, and my sturdiest knife is, as it turns out, just not that sturdy.
That’s as far as it would go.
Lesson learned: invest in better knives.
I improvised by microwaving the entire squash in a covered bowl with a little water in it until the shell softened. Then I split it open and spooned out the flesh with an ice cream scoop.
Did I ever mention I am not the neatest food-prepper?
Alton Brown was right-flexible cutting boards are a must. Thanks to mine, this was actually a snap to clean up.
Want to make Creamy Red Kuri Squash Soup yourself? Here’s the recipe with my commentary.
Here’s what you need:
- 4 heaping cups coarsely diced squash, seeds removed.
- 1 quart vegetable stock (You can make your own or buy this premade to save time. I used a product called “Better Than Bullion” because the flavor is better than bullion but it’s cheaper than buying pre-made stock.)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 1 sweet apple, cored and sliced
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
Cooking the Squash:
Dealing with the squash is by far the most complicated and time-consuming part of this very simple recipe, so you may want to do this part the night before, early in the morning or at naptime. I’d give yourself about 25 minutes the first time, especially if you aren’t used to cutting up hard squash. Then all you’ll need to bring the whole recipe together at dinnertime is about 15 minutes for sautéing the apples and onions, blending, and re-heating.
If you were able to hack open your squash raw, you’ll need to place the chunks in a large soup pot with the stock and a dash of salt, then bring to a boil. Simmer, covered, until tender-about 15 minutes. Drain the stock and reserve the squash.
If you use the ‘steam in its shell’ method to get the squash open, some of the cooking will already be done for you-so watch the squash closely as it boils for signs of done-ness.
Now drain the squash, reserving the stock for later.
The Rest Of It:
Heat a skillet over high heat and add two tablespoons of the olive oil (or just give the pan a couple “glugs”). Add onion and saute until it begins to brown. Then add the apple, cinnamon, cayenne, and a dash of salt and saute until the apples are soft and lightly browned. (The smell at this point? HEAVENLY.)
Now combine the squash, onion, apple and reserved stock in a blender and puree until smooth (you may have to do this in batches) adding the remaining tablespoon of olive oil as you blend. If you used another kind of squash besides Red Kuri, be careful to monitor how much liquid goes in the soup-a watery squash might need a little less stock. You can also add a little bit of water or more stock if the soup is too thick. During our demonstration, Louisa used an immersion blender, which I don’t have, but now I’m coveting one-less clean-up, less hassle, awesome.
A dash more salt and it’s all good.
And I mean GOOD. Serve it up hot with a few grinds of black pepper. I also tried dicing a bit of apple on top of my second bowl to bring out the sweetness. It was great both ways.
So yummy smelling, I almost lost the whole bowl to our dog, Moxie.
I served the soup to my kids last night with grilled cheese sandwiches-I figured it would seem more familiar that way. Two of them grudgingly admitted to liking it. The others weren’t so sure. But really, I don’t expect my kids to all love something the first time I give it to them. I’m happy as long as they keep tasting and trying.
As for myself? I had a very nice dinner. Moms deserve food they enjoy, too, don’t you think?
Would you like to WIN a copy of Louisa Shafia’s cookbook, Lucid Food: Cooking For An Eco-Conscious Life? Well, her publisher is going to send a copy to one lucky winner. And I’m going to sweeten the pot.
After experiencing for myself how much easier it is to blend soups with an immersion blender, I’m ordering one of these week after next. And guess what? I’m ordering one for the Lucid Food giveaway winner, too.
You can enter up to three ways for a total of four entries:
- Leave a comment telling me what your favorite winter squash is and why. I want to experiment and I’m looking for inspiration!
- Post on your blog about the giveaway, then come back and leave a comment with a link to your post.
- You all know I’m trying to win great blogging job, right? We’re down to the last six days of round 1, and the competition is fierce. I could REALLY use your help spreading the word. If you mention the contest (with the link to my voting page) on your blog, or put the badge encouraging people to vote for me in your sidebar (you can grab the HTML code from my voting link) , and then come back and comment about it (otherwise I won’t know!) with a link to your blog, that counts as TWO entries. If you enter using this method, please leave TWO comments for THAT entry. The second comment can just say “SAM-e entry #2.” I just want to make absolutely sure you get entered twice as a thank-you for your support!
Here’s some more incentive for you: If I’m back in the top 3 in the SAM-e contest by Wednesday, November 10 (when round 1 ends), I’ll choose TWO winners who will EACH win a book and an immersion blender.
Choose just one entry method, or choose all three methods and get a total of four entries.
You must have a mailing address within the continental United States or Canada to enter. Voting will close on WEDNESDAY, November 10 (My son’s 13th birthday!) at 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time. The winner will be chosen at random from the comments, using the WordPress Plugin “And The Winner Is.” The winner will be announced by Friday, Nov. 12. (I’d get to it faster, but we’ll be on vacation next week.)
Any questions? Send me an email.
Good luck!
I want that immersion blender, so perhaps I’ll be back to follow the giveaway directions, but for now, a knife tip:
I saw Martha Stewart cut an acorn squash in half once and she basically raised the knife really high and karate-chopped into it. It takes some aiming skillm but you can make it almost halfway with a little extra velocity, then work your way through the other half. I’ve always done it that way since. And yes, it was funny to watch MS go crazy with a cleaver like that. Heh.
Oooh … immersion blender and a beautiful cookbook? Enter me!
My favorite winter squash is a basic butternut squash. Our farm share grew some really nice ones this year. I love this squash because it’s so versatile — use it in soup, chunks in a stew or simply roast it and use it as an edible serving dish for rice.
My son and I love squash soup, although I leave soup making to my mum as she is so good at it. My favourite winter squash is spaghetti squash, mixing the strands with butter and salt and pepper as a side dish. My husband doesn’t like that, though, so our regular squash dish is acorn squash, usually cooked in a dish of water in the oven and served with butter.
My favorite squash is butternut squash if only because the FamilyFun Butternut Squash souffle recipes is amazingly delicious. Second best and a lot easier is acorn squash. I half it, scoop out the seeds, fill the cavity with butter, brown sugar and a pinch of salt and microwave until soft. Scoop out of the shell, mash it up and serve.
Tough question! I do love regular pumpkin because I make a pumpkin curry that is native to my husband’s province in India (it is called erisheri and I know he likes the dish because his mom used to make it.)
However, my favorite winter squash is the butternut squash – such an easy squash to prep AND cook. I make a dish that involves balsamic vinegar and chicken – I mix in sweet potato to balance out the butternut squash. This also easily converts to a Thanksgiving dish, I just leave the chicken out. (Link to the recipe? http://rancidraves.blogspot.com/2009/01/arent-library-fines-really-just-non.html)
So my immersion blender just broke. Perfect timing!
I just made some butternut squash and apple soup. Delicious! I omitted the cream and used plain yogurt~swirled in at the end. It was really tasty. And by accident I blended in the apple with the squash (was supposed to be a garnish) but that was really good. It’s also very yummy with some cheese on top. I used Dubliner, but some chevre or other goat cheese, or even Manchego would be good too. The other thing I would recommend is to bake the squash. It will not only be much yummier, but make things soo much easier.
Just linked!
I love the butternut squash, because that’s what I use in my oatmeal-raisin (squash) cookies. You can taste the flavor of the butternut squash in them, and although there is sugar in the recipe (obviously) I think it’s the perfect way of introducing kids to the yummy flavor of squash without being too bad!
I want the recipe book! But I just bought an immersion blender so you’ll have to give that to someone else!!
My favorite winter squash is delicata. Slice open, roast, serve with butter = easy and delicious.
We also love eating pumpkin, especially in spiced pumpkin squares (these are like brownies but with pumpkin. SO delicious.)
Okay, going to post your giveaway on my blog and come back with the URL momentarily…
Another vote for butternut squash. We have some from our garden this summer and it keeps for a few months in the basement. Perfect for soup and it is also good roasted.
Okay, so I went a little crazy and wrote an entire musing about blog giveaways and blogs I like with a lot of linky love in it, including the link to your contest Meagan.
Here’s the URL: http://jennifermargulis.net/blog/2010/11/what-do-you-think-about-blog-giveaways/
I love making tagine with squash….so long as I don’t put TOO much squash in, which led me to a terrifying realization that squash um…does things. I use butternet, but might try pepper squash next time.
Mmmm. love summer squash too, roasted over a flame.
Nomnomnom. Will have to make soup tonight. Was planning to anyway…more reason now. ?
This sounds delicious for during my stay at my daughter in 2 weeks.
…and the immersion blender?…I have had 3 of them for yrs. They do really come in handy!!!
I’m just starting to experiment with squash, and have been playing around with butternut squash (great in homemade mac ‘n’ cheese!). I also love pumpkin this time of year. I could eat my weight in pumpkin bread and muffins!
I am going to go with blue hubbard squash, because I grew three myself this year. And there is something awfully special about homegrown veggies, I think.
Hmm…I also love the butternut squash because it’s so delicious and versatile, but the acorn squash also rates right up there for it’s sweetness, cuteness, and because it serves two perfectly!! My immersion blender also broke recently AND that cookbook looks awesome. Great giveaway!!
I love the delicata squash or it’s close cousin the butterscotch squash. They look pretty, you don’t have to peel them and they are sweet with a nice texture.
My favourite way to prepare them is just cut it into rings (pinky wide) toss with a little olive oil, pinch of salt and a little pepper. Roast on a baking sheet at 325F for about 45 minutes, until getting golden and caramelized. Simple and yum!
Immersion blenders are the best thing since sliced bread!
So, essentially, we saute all the ingredients (aside from the squash and the stock) and then puree them with the cooked squash and what is left of the stock? I wonder whether this would work with cooked sweet potatoes also.
I love winter squash – my top three are butternut, acorn, and delicata. Most frequently I do the following with one of them:
Chop squash of your choice, and some combination of apples, potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes, onions, shallots, carrots, turnips, parsnips, rutabagas, and/or burdock in to large pieces. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and any desireable herbs. Grease a large shallow baking dish and put link sausages across the bottom – usually one per person. Put the veggies on top. Cover with foil and pop into a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes. Take the foil off, do a stir, and continue to cook until the hardest veggies (usually carrots or potatoes) are done.
This takes less than 10 minutes in the kitchen. With a salad and maybe some bread it is a very complete and satisfying meal. Great for using up extra winter veggies too – any combination of those I listed will be great. Enjoy!
– Taylor
I’ve rented that beautiful book from the library more than once
and
I wrecked my immersion blender blending clay with it
so
what is my favorite winter squash? this year, it’s pie pumpkin, which our veggie patch produced in abundance.
A book AND an immersion blender, oh my!
I love spaghetti squash!
posting about your blog giveaway will go up 8:30am Central Time tomorrow (Friday).
http://www.erikaskreation.com/erikaskreation/2010/11/a-pool-of-gratitude.html.html
posting about voting at Sam-e will go up tomorrow on the same blog entry, 8:30am central time
http://www.erikaskreation.com/erikaskreation/2010/11/a-pool-of-gratitude.html.html
Sam-e #2!
Thanks Meagan!! And wanted to mention, your messy food prep cracked me up! Looks exactly like something I would do, and the squash would also likely be all over my shirt and the floor as well!
I must say, though, the end result was a beauty.
Oh I so need an immersion blender!
I like spaghetti squash and actually grew some this year in my greenhouse. I have yet to find the perfect recipe to use it as a side dish, but I do like to use it instead of pasta if I’m feeling too carbed up.
My favorite winter squash is Kabocha, I use it often in place of pumpkin, it is sweeter and has far more flesh. It is tough to chop however, a trick you can use with a smaller knife is to pierce the squash with the tip to begin cutting, and don’t expect a perfectly bisected squash :). It sort of goes without saying, but… be very, very careful they are so slippery to cut!
Acorn squash is a close second, I cut them in half, de-seed, place them open side up with a pat of butter and a teaspoon of brown sugar in the hollow, bake at 350 until they are tender. So easy and delicious. I do one half for each adult.
Just to say… while I absolutely agree with sourcing things in season and locally as much as possible, there’s also the argument that some things are actually better (i.e., more environmentally friendly) grown in non-local climates, and that as long as the item is not then flown to reach your supermarket, it’s not so bad that it has travelled a long way. E.g., the book “How bad are your bananas” says imported bananas are actually not so bad (they grow in the sun, not hothouses; they are transported by ship, not air; you can get FairTrade ones easily) and puts the carbon footprint of one banana at less than driving a car for 1 mile or having an icecream. So I don’t think you need to feel too guilty about the occasional banana!!
Moms definitely deserve to eat soup they enjoy. I’m laughing both at the wolf on the counter and the wreckage of the squash! Glad the soup was a hit!
I must admit, the only squash I have ever had was a butternaut squash- and all I did was that was turn it into homemade babyfood. I def want to experiment more with squash this fall +winter, though. I have heard quite a few interesting recipes using spaghetti squash and am really curious to try them out. ?
Your soup looks so yummy and I have been wanting an immersion blender for YEARS!!! I like to roast butternut or acorn squash (sliced in half cut side down with a little coconut butter/oil on it); my kids love it too! Thank you for the opportunity!
My favorite is butternut squash, mostly because our farmer’s market sells them precut, which enables me to skip that more labor intensive part of preparation. I’ll have to make soup with it again soon, reading your recipe got me in the mood, thanks!
Karen
I so want to check out this cookbook – and an immersion blender? Count me in!
My favorite squash is butternut squash. My mom grows it in her garden and freezes it so we have it year-round.
Can I admit I don’t like squash? I hated the stuff my mom fed me as a kid and I haven’t dared try it again as an adult. (Real mature I know) Anyway, there have been so many nummy recipes posted lately that I’m tempted to try and do spaghetti squash…..
butternut squash!! Yum, yum, yummy!
Oops! Those two links i previously posted had an extra .html.
The correct link is
http://www.erikaskreation.com/erikaskreation/2010/11/a-pool-of-gratitude.html
Sorry to post again, this one doesn’t count as an entry!
oooh! how fun! I definitely don’t have a favorite, because each has it’s own quality -butternut is rich, spaghetti is fun, acorn is a nice personal size! Our grocery store sells squash in a huge bin -there must be at least 10 varieties in there. This fall I decided that I’d work my way through the bin to try out each kind. Your post inspired me to try the turban squash next.
Okay, my favorite squash is spaghetti, because (at the risk of stating the blindingly obvious here) it’s like SPAGHETTI and even though I’m not a carbophobic, I like to cram as many veggies into my cake hole as possible.
And now I’m all hungry and can’t remember what else I’m supposed to do here.
Oh yeah, pimping you out.
Done.
http://www.jennamccarthy.com/blog/
My favorite is butternut squash – so many great possibilities! (I’m intrigued by the poster who uses it in cookies!!) A great recipe to try is straight out of the classic Betty CrocKer cookbook – see “baked squash casserole.” (Recipe calls for Hubbard squash, but butternut works well.) Anyway, I hope I will be using a new immersion blender next time I make soup! ?
i love pumpkin/squash soup. love love love. i have a pie pumpkin i need to roast and i’m afraid my knives aren’t up to the task either! i improvised a great carrot/pumpkin soup a little while ago that sounds similar-lots of yummy cinnamon.
have you read In Defense of Food? another great pollen read. and i heart immersion blenders, too:)
oh yeah, acorn squash sliced thin and roasted, sprinkled with butter and cinnamon is pretty and delicious!
Our family favorite is definitely butternut squash. One of our favorite wintry meals is a delicious butternut squash soup with homemade toasted cheddar croutons. Perfect for a cold, grey day!
Butternut Squash, like everyone else! I just cooked spaghetti squash for the first time recently, and that was fun, too!
Me, me, me! We make a lot of soup in the winter, and an immersion blender would be far easier to clean than the food processor!
My squash cracking tip: jam the knife into the squash, then lift it (by the knife) and slam the squash back onto the counter. That should break the squash in two (eventually) — although it may end up with the knife stuck in some part of your body… but then you might not have to cook dinner.
My go-to winter squash is delicata for the ease of just eating the skin-and they’re nice and small so I don’t end up with more than my family can/wants to eat.
I’ve always wanted an immersion blender but haven’t made it a priority to buy one. Thanks for this chance!
I have to add my vote for butternut squash – it’s really versatile, and I love the taste. I kind of want to experiment with spaghetti squash, but have not had the opportunity just yet; may put that on the “to-do” list during maternity leave.
Acorn squash because they are a) cute b) last for ages c) don’t take up a lot of space and d) can be stuffed with cheese and cream baked and eaten. They are delicious and this recipe requires no peeling, just a small amount of scooping to get the seeds out. It is like a creamy soup but without the work : )
i love Butternut squash baked and brown sugar and butter so good
Great giveaway, thanks for the chance… My favorite squash right now is delicata, I love the texture and it goes well with a little butter and a dash of cinnamon, I even love it just the way it is.
I love squash and I have a tip for you – if you can cut open a pumpkin (a squash) you can cut open a squash without making a mess. I cut around the stem like I was getting ready to do a jack’o’lantern and then saw down from there into sections like an orange. It’s a very tidy way to do it. then I scoop out the seeds (to toast sometimes but frankly I’m too lazy to do it unless a kid is begging for me to)and use a paring knife to cut off the skin.
One of the ways my squash finicky kid will eat squash is in fairly large chunks that are roasted in the oven, I drizzle them with olive oil and cinnamon.
Sam-e entry #2 – Oh and we love the butternut, and delicata squash – last year I had a bunch from a roadside stall that had interbred and they were amazing – delicata and…caramel – is what they tasted like! I used some of it (cooked) in a zucchini bread recipe I had and it was SO yummy.
entry #3, pimped you out on my blog …off to do the same on facebook!
It’s hard to decide between pumpkin (for it’s lovely soups) or Butternut Squash (my favorite – roasted with potatoes and a garlic and rosemary rubbed pork loin).
I love butternut squash, especially when mixed with Granny Smith apples or ginger in a soup.
I roast it first to soften it, then split it open like you did with your squash.
MMMMMM!
Butternut squash soup gets my family through the winter. Going to try your recipe today.
Delicata is my favorite squash. Super sweet…good for pies, baked, stuffed, you name it.
Great giveaway. Thanks.
Call me boring, but I love butternut squash!
acorn and butternut….especially locally grown. We just had acorn squash the other night, simple and roasted and it was SOOO good. Then I incorporated the leftovers into homemade mac n cheese. yummy!
I love acorn squash. I eat 2-3 every week. I just half them and bake them for an hour at 400 and sprinkle with a 1/2 teaspoon of brown sugar and a dash of salt.
Love pumpkin this time of year. So versatile. I make a curried pumpkin soup with roasted pumpkin. Delicious.
What a great giveaway that would go hand-in-hand with my C.S.A. I am constantly searching for in season recipes. Plus an immersion blender would be a dream for all of the soups (we are getting a lot of squash). Good luck with the great blogging job. I am on my way to vote.