roasted butternut squash soup

I have started to get butternut squash in the CSA box.  I actually did not plant any winter squash this year because I am still using the pumpkin and winter squash I canned last year.  I have been asked to plant more in the winter garden which I have started to get ready.  I could plant some any time at this point.  It is going to be interesting this winter.  Life is changing again.  We will have to see where the changes lead.

But this squash became soup.  We have the crud running around our home and soup is soothing throats.  I am thinking a bean soup for tomorrow night.  Or maybe fish tacos.  Either work in my head and I am craving fish tacos.  I could go rambling about the craving and why but in reality I guess I should finish this recipe.  

Maybe I just wish to babble.

roasted butternut squash

2 butternut squash

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 onion, diced

half a head of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon New Mexico chili

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 to 2 cups Riesling, a drinkable white wine, cider, apples juice, mead

water or vegetable broth

Cut the butternut squash in half.  Put face down on a baking sheet covered with silpat, parchment paper, or aluminum foil.  Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  After the hour, turn the oven off and leave the squash to cool in the oven.  I do this in the morning but my kitchen is always very warm in the evening.  I do not need the extra heat and the squash is much easier to scoop.

In a large pot, pour the oil and heat over medium heat.  Add the onion and brown slowly.  Add the garlic and let brown.  Scoop the squash from the skin and add to the pot.  Stir well.

Pour in the wine or broth.  I like enough to not completely cover the squash mixture.  How much fluid you will need will depend on the size of your squash.  Add your seasonings.  Add water to completely cover the mixture.  Stir very well.  Let come to a simmer.  Be careful of the bubbles.  They will burn.

I like this soup to be very smooth, so I blend it before serving.  I turn the heat off and move the pan from the burner.  I use my immersion blender to blend it smooth.

I served this with roasted broccoli and rye crisps.  We did have a very sick Small Mister while eating this but it was still cool when it was not quite so hot.

Would you believe Small Mister is now bouncing all over the house after the need of many cuddles?

potato and chorizo soup

I was reading the description of a cookbook today by a food blogger I had never read before.  I was following links as I was archiving data.  A very exciting day.  But the description had a potato soup that sounded interesting.  Chorizo.  White Onion.  Potato.  If I ever read the cookbook, I may find that there is much more to the soup in the original context but this is a lovely tasty soup.  Especially if you have everything in the freezer and refrigerator and a bag of chips to go with it.

potato and chorizo soup

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 ounces chorizo

4 ounces bacon, diced

1 white onion, peeled and chopped fairly fine

1 to 2 pounds red potatoes, cut into bite size chunks

4 garlic cloves, cleaned and minced

1 teaspoon alder smoked salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

water to cover

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and brown slowly.  When the onion starts to get golden, add the bacon and chorizo.  Let get brown and then add the garlic.  Let the garlic brown and add the potatoes.  Cover with water.  Stir in the salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Turn down to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are soft to a fork.

Serve with chips.

applesauce

Applesauce is another one of those things I just grew up making.  My Dad made it.  I made it with him.  My parents actually preserved it.  I cannot remember if it was canned or frozen.  My Aunt made it from the tree in her backyard in Marin county.  Big pots full and we could have as much as we wanted.  Pretty decadent.  

I look at the grocery store shelves now and there are so many jars of applesauce when it tastes so  much better when it is made from home.  I like to core and peel the apples.  Other people just chop them in quarters and put it all through a food mill afterwards.  I still do not have a food mill.  It is on my list of kitchen gadgets I will get some day.  Especially before we move to the land.  

Applesauce is like bread to me.  Just one of those things you make at home

applesauce

apples, a pound or more, cored and peeled, cut into quarters

enough water to cover the bottom of a sauce pan

sugar, to taste

cinnamon, optional and to taste

Put the apples in a pot with the water.  Bring to a boil.  Cover.  Turn to a simmer and let cook about 15 to 20 minutes or until soft enough to stick with a fork.  Mash with a potato masher or fork.  Add sugar and cinnamon to taste.

Serve in a bowl or with potato pancakes.  Or anyway you can think of.  Homemade is really so much better.

potato pancakes

When I was growing up, leftover mashed potatoes would be shaped into a patty and fried.  First, there had to be leftover mashed potatoes which was a very rare thing.  We would call them potato patties.  That was all there was to them.  Simple things.  A nice way to reheat mashed potatoes without a microwave or the chance of thinning them out too much.  I still make these.  Sometimes I had a nice cheese on top.  Actually, this is what we had for Sunday breakfast with a scrambled egg.

As I got older, I have liked the potato pancakes you get in delis.  The potato is grated.  From there, there is more work then I really wish to do.

I recently read an essay that had a recipe in it for potato pancakes that was half way between the two.  Mashed potatoes instead of the work of the grated with most of the ingredients of the deli potato pancakes.  I decided to give them a try.  With a poached egg, smoked salmon, homemade applesauce, and a spoon of sour cream, these potato pancakes filled a craving.  And made a very nice dinner.

potato pancakes

about a pound or more of thin skinned red potatoes

2 to 4 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream

4 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup buckwheat flour

2 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

In a large pot, put the potatoes. Cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat.  Turn down, cover and let simmer until soft to a fork.  Drain.  Mash.  Add the cream and dash some more.  Put in the freezer to cool if you plan the pancakes soon.

In a frying pan, put the olive oil.  Heat over medium heat.  Add the garlic.  Brown.  Remove the bowl of potatoes from the freezer, mix in the garlic.  Add a bit more olive oil the the frying pan and heat.

Mix in the buckwheat flour, salt, and pepper into the potatoes.  Mix in the eggs.  This will be thick.

Take a large spoonful and dump it into the frying pan.  Shape into a pancake shape with a spatula.  Do this with the rest of the batter.  Let brown on one side.  Turn over and brown on the other.

Serve anyway that suits your fancy.  The poached egg and salmon was ours.  Homemade applesauce was a nice addition.

My tummy was quite pleased with this dinner.  Just added a cup of tea.

poaching eggs

Poached eggs are an interesting thing.  They have myths about them as sourdough starter.  They really are about as easy.  I saw a recipe for potato pancakes that were served with poached eggs.  I decided to give it a try.  Especially since it was not the first poached egg essay I had seen in the recent past.  And they used a tea cup.  That is so me!

poached egg

1 egg

water

apple cider vinegar

Bring a pot of water to a gentle boil.  Add a glug of vinegar.  Bring it back to a gentle boil.

Crack an egg into a tea cup.  Pour the egg into the water.

Cook for about 5 minutes.  Change the time depending on how solid you wish the yolk.  We like runny and with a gentle simmer it takes a few minutes.

Maybe not the prettiest poached eggs out there but sure tasty.

Our camera is at the shop.  We lost the automatic focus on our camera.  And it is getting cleaned.  I do not know how this is going to work with blogging but we should find out!  I am not sure I have enough pictures saved up for this.  Oh well!

I think I just need more tea.