Baltimore Eats - A Reason for the Season

Many years ago on a chilly, damp October evening, my cousin, Steve Wilhide, hosted a marvelous dinner party for family and friends.

As a first course he served the most delicious tasting butternut squash soup. White bowls were brimming with sunset colored soup, each garnished with slivers of emerald colored green onions offsetting the soup's beautiful color. The texture was silky-creamy, velvety-smooth and it slithered its way down my throat like golden honey or a smooth single malt scotch... When the time for butternut squash rounds the corner, this soup is always on my list of must-haves. Now is the season for winter squash to come on.

There are many winter squash varieties available -Hubbard, turban, buttercup, spaghetti, acorn and pumpkin -but butternut is my favorite. The butternut is shaped like a large pear, has a smooth beige colored skin and golden flesh. The flavor is mild and slightly sweet. Butternut squash has many redeeming nutritional attributes, most notable, it is an excellent source of vitamin A and C and dietary fiber; one cup is about 80 calories.

SELECTING, STORING, PREPARING
Choose firm squash that are heavy for their size. All winter squashes are very hardy and will keep for months after harvest if stored in a cool place. To have available throughout the winter months to use in soups, breads, muffins, cookies, risottos, and as a side dish, cook and puree just harvested squash and store in the freezer.

Butternut squash is thick skinned and requires cutting with a sharp cleaver or knife. Use care when cutting. To cut the squash it is best to anchor the wider end in the drain of your kitchen sink. With a clever or sharp knife, carefully cut down the length of the squash. Using your hand or a wooden mallet, knock the back of the blade until the squash is cut in half lengthways. With a metal spoon, scoop out the seeds and fibrous strings.

There are two methods for cooking butternut squash: boiling or baking. Boiling is typically faster than baking and the flavored water can form part of the dish, as is the case for this soup recipe. In fact, the flavors extracted from the squash during boiling are what give this soup the rich butternut taste.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP
Serve as a first course, or as a luncheon or light supper entrÇe, with slices of good quality bread and a hearty tossed green or spinach salad. This soup is best prepared in advance to allow the flavors to mellow. It is a good keeper, but will thicken over time; add more chicken broth or water to thin to desired consistency.

4 tablespoons butter
3 leeks, white part only, thinly sliced
2 large onions, diced
2 teaspoons curry powder
5 cans (14.25 ounce) regular or low fat chicken broth
4 large Idaho baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
Salt and pepper to taste
Green onion, thinly sliced for garnish
In a very large pot, melt butter over medium heat and sautÇ leeks and onion until glossy. Add curry and sautÇ until fragrant, a minute or so. Add chicken broth, potatoes and butternut squash. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour or until vegetables are fork tender. When soup has cooled, puree (in batches) in a food processor until it has the consistency of heavy cream.
Garnish bowls with thinly sliced green onion. Serves 12-15.

Wine Pick? Jean - Claude Thevenet Macon Pierreclos 2006 $17.99