How to Cook a Squash

More recipes! These are from this fall, made with whatever winter squash you like - butternut, delicata, buttercup, acorn, et al. Both are easy as pie and uber-classy. Easier than pie, in fact. Unless you buy your crust pre-made, in which case they're about the same. Both are pureed 'creamy' soups; tossing a potato in gives it that nice texture without any actual cream. Or, you know, add some cream. If you're into that.

Squash Soup #1: Leeks, Celery Root, Ginger
1 squash
1 leek
1 celery root/celeriac/whatever the hell you call it
1-inch chunk ginger
1 small-ish potato
broth
s&p to taste
oil

Cut the squash in half, set it cut-side-up in a baking dish, brush with olive oil, and roast at around 400 til soft, maybe an hour and a half or so. Poke it with a fork, when it's nice and soft with brown at the edges it's done. Let cool.

Peel your celeriac. I usually do this with a knife, 'cause it's way too knobbly for a vegetable peeler. Cut it into chunks, then either rough-chop by hand or give it a good whiz in the food processor, depending how strong your arm is/how lazy you are. Needless to say, I use the food processor.

Peel your ginger. Use a spoon to scrape off the skin; way better than a peeler or knife, and way less chance of slicing your finger open. Chop roughly/stick in the food processor with the celeriac.

Chop your leek. Feel free to use the green parts, if you don't mind that they'll turn your soup kind of a funny color. I don't. Put the chopped leek into a big bowl of cold water and swirl it around a little to get out the dirt. Fun fact: leeks float, dirt sinks.

Peel your potato. Chop into small cubes/add to food processor with the rest.

Heat some oil in a pot. Add the veggies & saute til everything gets soft. Scoop out the flesh of the squash and add that, along with the broth. Simmer for 15 minutes or so.

Blend the soup to make it smooth. Three options if you don't want to scald yourself with a scalding blender full of hot soup: 1) use an immersion blender, 2) let the soup cool first, or 3) take that little clear plastic circle out of the top of the blender, and only fill the thing about halfway each time. I bet you can guess which I do.

Put it all back in the pot, season to taste, warm before serving, garnish with (optional) bacon, and blow the pants off any guests. In a good way.


Squash Soup #2: Apple & Sage
1 squash
1 apple
Onions
Garlic
1 smallish potato
Sage
broth
oil
S&P

Roast your squash. (See above.)

Peel, core, & chop your apple. (I use Granny Smith, but whatevs.) Chop the alliums and potato. Saute it all til the apple is soft and the onions are translucent.

Add the squash flesh, the broth, and half the sage. Simmer for a bit.

Blend as above. Don't scald yourself.

Season to taste. Add the other half of the sage, chopped fine. Bacon would go well here to.