Cauliflower & Butternut Squash Soup

In my mind, the Fall is soup time! When I lived in Europe, I found they enjoyed soups made from pureed vegetables far more than we do here, and that is a shame. When you blend a soup, it gets a thick and creamy texture that is very comforting on a rainy autumn day. Since squash is in season, you should take advantage of the awesome flavor profile that comes from adding it to a warm bowl of comfort food. -Jake

Ingredients

• 1 head of cauliflower, chopped
• 1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped
• 2 packages mushrooms, washed and sliced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1/2 lb bacon
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. curry powder (I like McCormick brand)
• 1 tsp. paprika (hot or sweet)
• 1/2 tsp. turmuric
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy stew pot or dutch oven over medium low heat. Sweat the cauliflower, onion, and butternut squash with the pepper, curry powder, paprika, and turmeric for 5-8 minutes or until everything is slightly softened. Add salt, red pepper, and enough water to cover - around 4 cups (which will vary based on the size of your vegetables & your vessel). Bits of the veggies may stick up out of the water (it's better to have too little water than too much, because you can always thin it out later if you want). Bring to a boil and simmer until everything is cooked, about 10 minutes more.

Meanwhile (while sweating and boiling the veggies), in a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon then saute the mushrooms in the bacon fat over medium high heat until dark brown in color.

Take the veggies off the heat. Use a stick blender to puree the soup until smooth. Chop bacon into bits and add with mushrooms. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

Stuffed Winter Squash

I love squash! It's cheap, easy to grow, easy to cook, and very tasty. The challenge is to figure out ways to prepare it creatively - you don't want to just eat it as a mashed potato substitute. I love to stuff vegetables, and squash is practically asking to be stuffed (it's hollow when you take out the seeds), so this recipe seems like a natural way to innovate.

Ingredients

• 3 delicata squash, scrubbed clean and split lengthwise with the seed cavity scraped out.
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into thin pats
• 3/4 pound (12 ounces) pork sausage (traditional sausage, not italian or hot), or plain ground pork
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped carrot
• 6 cups kale (one bunch), washed, stemmed and chopped (do not dry off)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups cooked rice
• 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• kosher salt
• black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place squash on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle the insides of the squash with salt and place 1 tablespoon of butter in each, distributing the pats along the bottom.

Cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat until no longer brown. Remove the sausage from the pan and heat the oil over medium-high heat. Saute the onion, celery, and carrot until crisp-tender. Add the kale, lemon juice, and vinegar and saute until the kale is tender. Add the cooked sausage, rice, oregano, and salt/pepper to taste. Loosely spoon the filling into each squash half (do not pack it in). Bake uncovered for 40-50 minutes, or until the squash flesh is tender.

Remove the squash from the oven. Top each squash with a layer of pine nuts and return to the oven for 5 minutes more. Let cool slightly (3-5 minutes) and serve with a tossed salad.