Fall Soup

Between my CSA share and my husband's cousin, I ended up with a variety of winter squashes. I decided with the recent change in weather, Squash Soup would be a comforting change. As I usually do, I hit the internet for ideas and found a recipe for Roasted Squash Soup that uses several types of winter squash. Since Ihad butternut, acorn and spaghetti squash, I decided to use this recipe as a basis for my version.

 Roasted Winter Squash Soup
Adapted from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/roasted-squash-soup/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=roasted%20squash%20soup&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page

• 1 1/2 pounds butternut squash*, halved and seeded
• 1 acorn squash*, halved and seeded
• 1/2 small spaghetti squash*, halved and seeded
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion*, chopped
• 6 cloves roasted garlic*, minced
• 1 teaspoon ginger powder
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 2 Gala apples* - peeled, cored and chopped
• 2/3 cup white wine
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup water
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Place the squash, cut side down, on baking sheets and roast for 45 minutes, or until flesh is soft. Scoop out the flesh into a large bowl.
3. In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, heat the oil. Saute the onion, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in the garlic, ginger and curry powder and cook 1 minute. Add the apples and sherry and simmer for 10 minutes, or until apples soften.
4. Puree batches of the squash flesh and broth in a food processor or blender. Transfer the squash puree to a large saucepan. Puree the apple/sherry mixture and stir into pureed squash.
5. Heat over medium heat and season with salt, pepper and cayenne, to taste. 

 *CSA ingredients

Double Duty Chicken and Vegetables

Since this was the last week of the summer CSA and the winter CSA starts this coming week, I knew I had to cook the last chicken that I received.  I was watching reruns of The Chew (as I do not have DVR to record it) and during one of the episodes last week, they mentioned using root vegetables as a base to roast chicken which prevents the chicken from boiling in it's own juices.  I had potatoes, turnips and cauliflower left from the last couple packages, so I decided to give this a try:

Roasted Chicken and Vegetables

• 1 cup tiny red potatoes, washed*
• 1cup fingerling potatoes, washed*
• 2 cups cauliflower florets*
• 3 medium turnips, peeled and diced*
• 1 med tomato*
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 Tbsp mixed dried herbs
• 1 4-lb chicken*

Preheat oven to 375F. Prepare vegetables and place in a large ziploc bag.  Drizzle with olive oil and add herbs.  Close bag and shake until vegetables are coated.  Pour vegetables into bottom a roasting pan, making a single layer. Place chicken on top of vegetables and season as desired.  Roast in 375F oven for 1 hour.  Stir vegetables and return to oven.  Raise heat to 425F and roast until thermometer inserted into thigh reads 175F; about 15 minutes longer.

When I checked the vegetables, I noticed that the turnips were still quite al dente.  I also needed to use up some squash and cider that I received in previous packages.  So, I decided to take the vegetables and some of the chicken and make a cider stew.

Chicken Cider Stew

• Chicken breast and thigh from above recipe*
• Vegetables from above recipe*
• 1 ½ cup chicken stock
• 1 ½ cup apple cider*
• ¼ cup cider vinegar
• 1 small acorn squash, peeled, seeded and cubed*
• 2 medium apples, peeled , seeded and wedged*

Remove skin from Chicken. Carve chicken breast and thigh meat, then shred into a large Dutch oven. Pour vegetables and drippings into Dutch oven as well.  Add  stock, cider and cider vinegar to pan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.  In the meantime, peel and seed the acorn squash.  Cut into 1 inch pieces.  Add pieces to stew, cover and cook for an additional 10 minutes.  While squash is cooking, peel, seed and wedge two tart apples.  At the end of the 10 minutes, add apple wedges, cover and cook another 10 minutes or until apples are becoming soft.  Makes 12 1-cup servings.

*CSA ingredients