Hulk Squash!

Winter Squash Soup with Sauteed Apples
Virginia Willis, copyright 2008. Published by Ten Speed Press.
Serves 4 to 6

You’ll find many types of winter squash in your produce department. For this sweet-savory soup, reach past the standard acorn and butternut varieties for something new like carnival, delicata, or kabocha for a different feel and flavor.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, very finely chopped
Bouquet garni (3 sprigs of flat-leaf parsley, 2 sprigs of thyme, 10 whole black peppercorns, tied together in cheesecloth)
3 pounds winter squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped
3 cups chicken stock or low-fat, reduced-sodium chicken broth
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced
1 sprig thyme
1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)
1 teaspoon firmly packed dark brown sugar
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

To prepare the soup, in a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-low heat until foaming. Add the shallot, carrot, and celery. Cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes.

Add the bouquet garni, squash, and chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, decrease the heat to low, and simmer until the squash is tender, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, to cook the apples, in a skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add the diced apple and remaining sprig of thyme; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apple is tender and lightly caramelized, about 5 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.

To finish the soup, remove the bouquet garni and discard. In the Dutch oven, using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Or ladle the soup into a blender and puree until smooth a little at a time. Leave it coarse and chunky if you prefer a more rustic soup or puree until smooth for a more elegant soup. Add the cream, brown sugar, and nutmeg. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper.

To serve, ladle into warm bowls and garnish with the sautéed apples. Serve immediately.

Ok, there's no two ways about this. This soup struck out with the kids. I thought it was good, though, the tart chunkiness of the sauteed Granny Smith apples contrasted well with the soup, and saved it from the uniform texture that plain 'ole squash soup suffers from. Joni liked it too.

The recipe (and the stout batter bread, below) is from Lynne Rossetto Kasper's (the host of The Splendid Table on NPR) Weeknight Kitchen newsletter. I highly recommend it.

Apologies for the lack of picture - the camera is on the fritz.

Kid ratings:

Christopher Robin
Collin
Isaac	"Zero"
Annette

Stout Batter Bread
Virginia Willis, copyright 2008. Published by Ten Speed Press.

Makes one 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf

Other than sharing the quick bread gene, this beer batter bread doesn’t have much of a Southern heritage. For minimum effort and maximum results, it’s hard to beat. This takes the phrase “dump and stir” to a whole new level. Different beers produce breads with different flavors and textures. This recipe calls for stout, producing a bread somewhat dark in color with a slightly heavy flavor. It goes well with a hearty stew or pot roast. Lighter ale produces a lighter loaf and would be more appropriate with milder dishes such as this soup.

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the loaf pan
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 (12-ounce) bottle stout, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Brush one 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan with some of the butter.

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Add the beer and 2 tablespoons of the remaining melted butter, stirring just until combined. (The batter will be somewhat lumpy.)

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Bake until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly, then invert onto the rack to cool until warm. Serve warm or at room temperature.

I'd almost swear I did something wrong with this. First, I had to read the recipe three times to confirm that yes, it's a quick bread with no eggs. Also - beer in bread? Ew. However, I tried it despite my reservations. It came out lumpy and dense - not inedible, but not something I'm ever going to make again.