‘Tis the season for winter squash
I fell in love with winter squash one evening at my friend
Abby’s cottage in quaint Soquel a few years ago.
It was a damp, cold evening and her one-room cottage was divided
in to ‘rooms’ by a bed, a couch, and her cat’s playhouse which
rested at the entrance of her kitchen. This set up and our small
group of four people made this a very intimate gathering
– the perfect setting to discover the euphoric flavors of
butternut squash.
‘Tis the season for winter squash
I fell in love with winter squash one evening at my friend Abby’s cottage in quaint Soquel a few years ago.
It was a damp, cold evening and her one-room cottage was divided in to ‘rooms’ by a bed, a couch, and her cat’s playhouse which rested at the entrance of her kitchen. This set up and our small group of four people made this a very intimate gathering – the perfect setting to discover the euphoric flavors of butternut squash.
Abby served us red wine and homemade bread with plenty of balsamic vinegar and crushed garlic for dipping while she roasted the butternut and chopped apple and onion for the soup. As the wine warmed our blood, the smell of the sweet squash wafted through her little cottage. I imagined from the outside her house must have resembled that of the Seven Dwarves cottage from Snow White, only the stream of smoke was from the oven rather than a fire place – the scent of butternut rising up in to the night, probably seducing the neighborhood with its sweet smell.
After bread and wine, Abby brought out chicken breast and by this time I felt so hungry I was tempted to take a second piece. “The main course will be worth the wait, darlings,” she assured us.
Before we could clean off our plates, Abby was back in the kitchen ladling spoonfuls of the soup in to the blender, the noisy machine a brief interruption in our calm night. She set that aside and took out a clean pot for the second step. She melted butter then added flour to the pot, whisking constantly. She then mixed the pureed liquid in with the butter and flour. After a couple of minutes, she stirred in some sherry then topped it off with a generous helping of cream.
Like every good chef, Abby tried a spoonful herself and let out an approving, “Mmmmm. This is so good you guys.” She then filled 4 mugs to the rim with the bisque, and wiped the drippings off of the sides with a dish towel before handing them to us.
The soup was hot in my hands and the scents of sherry, cinnamon, apples, and squash ascended to my nose leaving me no patience for it to cool before I took my first taste. I admit, the first sip burned my mouth on impact but the flavors that rested on my tongue were worth the pain.
Bisque is thicker than soup and while Abby did puree most of the ingredients, chunks of onions and apples were left in the pot, producing bursts of their sweet flavors as an added bonus. We sipped the main course from our spoons in silence, as if we were enjoying a very proper teatime. But by the end of the meal, so seduced were we by the flavors of the bisque, we had abandoned our silverware and suddenly found ourselves slurping in unison, desperate for another taste, and another, and then another.
I can’t remember if we finished the entire pot that night or not, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we had. I left Abby’s cottage the next morning burning with a fever for more butternut bisque. The winter months are enjoyable to me if only because butternut squash is aplenty this time of year.
Since my discovery of this delectable vegetable, I have also discovered several other winter squash varieties. There are many, and they are all delicious. One cup of Red Kabocha Squash, for example, added to your pancake batter is one wonderful way to enjoy winter squash. The Acorn squash is a very popular variety, too, and also makes a delicious soup. Here are two of my favorite recipes:
Butternut Bisque
6 cups vegetable broth
1 large butternut squash
1 medium sized tart green apple – peeled, cored and chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. Salt
Pinch of rosemary
Fresh ground pepper
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. Flour
3 tbsp. dry sherry or dry white wine
2 egg yolks
1 pint half and half
1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Place face down on a baking sheet. Cover the bottom of the baking sheet with water (to prevent the squash from drying out. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour, until squash is soft. Remove seeds and discard.
2. Scoop squash out with a spoon and place in a pot with stock, apples, onion, sugar, salt, rosemary and pepper in large saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until apples and onions are cooked, about 20 minutes.
3. Puree soup until very smooth, reserving some apple and onion chunks if desired. Return to pan and bring to boil. Melt butter in another heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour and cook 3 minutes. Whisk in squash puree. Simmer 5 minutes. Mix in sherry.
4. Meanwhile, beat yolks and cream in a small bowl. Blend in some of soup. Whisk mixture back into soup. Rewarm if necessary, but do no boil.
Winter Squash Pancakes
1 cup pancake mix
1 cup white flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 eggs,
1 cup baked Kabocha squash, or another winter squash
3 tbsp oil
2 cups milk
1 tsp each of ginger and cinnamon
½ tsp each of allspice, five spice and cloves
Mix dry ingredients and the wet ingredients (including the squash) separately, then fold them together. Let sit for 15 minutes. Brush a frying pan with butter or oil before making your pancakes. Use a ¼ cup measuring cup to scoop out batter.
Serve with real maple syrup for a delicious breakfast!
