Ingredient of the Month
November: Butternut Squash

Butternut squash lends a sweet, nutty flavor to Chef Brennan’s innovative soup garnished with two other autumn favorites: blue cheese and walnuts. Robust flavors, textures and colors come together for another great recipe to try at home.

Buying: Butternut squash has an oblong shape with a smooth, cream-colored skin. They are best when they are 8 to 12 inches long and about 4 to 5 inches in diameter around the base. It is important to observe closely the condition of the squash. Look for one that is firm, intact and heavy for its size. It should still have a part of its stem, which slows down the loss of moisture that occurs after being picked.

Storing: Because the skin is semi-hard, a whole butternut squash can be stored for up to one month in a dry, well ventilated, cool area (between 50 and 60 degrees).

Preparing: Wash the squash then cut off its ends. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and strings, using a tablespoon or a small scoop. If you like, set aside the seeds as they make an excellent dried snack.

Cooking: Squash can be boiled, steamed and roasted. Steaming is highly recommended as it preserves the flavor. To steam squash, simply cut it into halves, slices or pieces, and place on a steamer rack in a large saucepan. The cooking time can vary from 15 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces. Follow the recipe below, to learn how to easily roast squash, a method that also helps maintain the sweet flavor of the squash.


 Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Blue Cheese and Walnuts

Serves 4

Ingredients:

3 pounds butternut squash (1 large squash)
¼ cup canola oil
3 teaspoons plus a pinch kosher salt
White pepper in a mill
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon crushed walnuts (from about 12 walnut halves)
½ cup Spanish onion, medium dice
½ cup cored, peeled, pear, any variety, medium dice
½ cup Riesling or other full-bodied white win
5 ½ cups vegetable stock, homemade, or low-sodium, store-bought vegetable broth, or water
2 teaspoons honey
½ cup crumbled Roquefort or other blue cheese (from about 2 ounce cheese), at room temperature

Method:

PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. Rub the cut sides lightly with 2 tablespoons of the oil, season with a total of 1 teaspoon salt and 4 grinds of pepper, and place cut—side down on a cookie sheet. Roast until tender to a knife-tip, approximately 1 hour. Remove from the oven and, when cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh. You should have 3 cups of roasted squash.

MEANWHILE, put the nuts in an 8-inch sauté pan and toast over medium heat, shaking constantly, until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

POUR the remaining 2 tablespoons oil into a large, heavy-bottomed pot and heat over medium heat. Add the onion, pear, and a pinch of salt and cook without browning for 20 minutes. Pour in the Riesling and cook, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot, until all of the wine has reduced by two-thirds, approximately 5 minutes. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the roasted butternut squash. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

WHEN the soup is done, pour it into a blender in batches and blend until smooth. Season with the salt and add the honey. Strain the soup through a fine- mesh strainer; if it seems too thick, add a few tablespoons of water to thin it slightly. (It should just coat the back of a wooden spoon.)

DIVIDE the soup among 4 warm soup bowls. Garnish each bowl with 1 tablespoon crumbled cheese and one-fourth of the crushed nuts. Serve.

VARIATION: In the early fall, replace the pears with apples.

EMBELLISHMENTS: Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat and let cook until the butter turns brown. Add it to the soup while blending one batch.

Add sautéed wild mushrooms to the bowl and spoon the soup over them, or pile them in the center of the bowl and carefully ladle the soup around them.