Butternut Squash Soup

The star of our garden this year was something I didn't even intend to grow! I noticed some type of squash seedling popping up here and there - in the raspberry patch and in the center of one of the new raised beds. I decided to let them grow to see what they would become. I never imagined they would be the most successful plants in the garden. Last week we harvested about a dozen or so big, beautiful butternut squash! I peeled, diced and roasted most of them to freeze for use in the winter and I made up a big batch of my favorite butternut squash soup.


...here's the squash, carrots, and onions sauteeing in butter.

Add thyme and saute until the vegetables are mostly tender. Add chicken stock and simmer until everything is very tender. Puree in a blender, add some seasonings and garnish with fresh chives. Sometime I'll omit the chives and mix in some curry powder when serving to mix up the flavors a bit.  It's delicious that way too!



Butternut Squash Soup

adapted from Bon Appetit

1/4 cup butter
5 1/2 pounds butternut squash (10 cups diced)
3 cups chopped onions
3 medium carrots, thinly sliced
5 tsp fresh thyme

1/8 to 1/4 tsp ground red pepper
7 cups or more chicken stock
1/4 tsp nutmeg (optional)

1/4 cup heavy cream or half and half
fresh chives for garnish (optional), or sprinkle in some curry powder

Melt the butter in a large pot. Add the squash, carrots, onions, thyme, ground red pepper, and salt and pepper to taste. Saute until the squash begins to soften and brown. Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 30 minutes. Cool slightly. Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender until smooth (or use an immersion blender right in the pot). Add nutmeg and heavy cream, and adjust seasonings. Sprinkle with chives when serving. If reheating, add more broth or water to thin to desired consistency.

Zucchini Soup

This soup is an all-time family favorite. I've made it every year since my husband and I got married and my mother-in-law gave me the recipe.  The original called for canned tomato soup, but I have changed the recipe to make it all from scratch so I could use my garden tomatoes.  There's something to be said about a recipe that you never get tired of. I can't tell you how many recipes I've tried and, while it's wonderful the first time, the second and third tries just don't live up to the first. This one is different. It's good year after year and holds up well in the freezer so I know I'll have a quick meal to turn to when kid activities are many and time is short. I used peeled and pureed tomatoes right from the garden but canned ones are just as good. You could easily vary this recipe and add chopped carrots or white beans, although I think it's perfect as written.

Zucchini Soup
Serves 10

2 pounds hot and/or sweet italian sausage (I used sweet)
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 red and/or green sweet bell peppers
1-2 hot peppers, chopped, optional
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 quart homemade chicken broth
2 quarts canned tomatoes
2 good-sized zucchini, cubed
3 or 4 fresh basil leaves
2 Tbsp fresh parley
salt to taste
Slices of provolone cheese for serving, optional

In a skillet, brown and drain the sausage and set aside. In a large stockpot, saute the onion for 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute or two. Add peppers and continue to cook until the peppers begin to soften. Add cumin, pepper and oregano and cook 30 seconds or so. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, zucchini, sausage, basil, parsley and salt to taste. Simmer 2-3 hours. Add water or chicken stock if the soup is too thick. To serve, ladle into a bowl and place a slice of provolone on top if desired.

Southwestern Chicken and Bean Soup

The weather here in Pennsylvania this August has been beautiful. But we can all sense that fall is quickly approaching and too soon after that, winter will be here. With fresh, local peppers, onions, and tomatoes so abundant now, this is the perfect time to cook up a double batch of tortilla soup and freeze the leftovers. Come February, you'll be glad you did!  There is just the right balance of seasonings and just the right amount of heat (for me). If you like heat, you may want to add more jalapeno or some jalapeno seeds which add more spiciness than the outer parts of the pepper. You could easily make this a vegetarian soup and use vegetable broth and omit the chicken. The beans make it hearty even without the meat. You could also add zucchini or carrots to the soup if you were looking to use up some extra veggies in your refrigerator.


Southwestern Chicken and Bean Soup
adapted from Cooking Light (Southwestern Turkey Soup)

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and minced (add some seeds if you want more heat)
2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded, or any leftover cooked chicken
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 cups organic chicken broth
1 large bay leaf
2 large tomatoes, seeded and diced, or 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
crushed tortilla chips for garnish
shredded cheddar or jack cheese, or diced avocado for garnish


Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, and jalapeno to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, black pepper and salt and stir to coat. Add chicken broth, bay leaf, tomatoes, and beans and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook 15 minutes. Add shredded chicken and simmer until chicken is heated through. Remove from heat and discard bay leaves. Stir in cilantro. Ladle into bowls and top with tortilla chips and cheese or avocado.

Chicken and Pecan Salad

If you're looking for an unusual and delicious chicken salad, try this one. I found the recipe in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette a few years back and it's been one of my favorites ever since. The recipe came from the California Table Grape Commission - the grapes give it just the right sweetness and the basil is a nice twist. It's even better after it's mixed together and chilled for a while in the fridge.

Chicken and Pecan Salad
Serves 4-6

2 cups diced cooked chicken

1 1/2 cups seedless grapes, cut in half

1/2 cup diced celery

1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

2 T fresh basil, chopped

1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup avocado oil mayonnaise

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 T lemon juice

Mix all ingredients together and chill for at least 2 hours.

Greek Salad

The summer following my junior year of college, I took the trip of a lifetime and traveled all through Europe with 3 friends. We were gone for 3 1/2 weeks, stayed in youth hostels, and traveled by Eurail with everything we needed on our backs.

We toured Amsterdam, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Greece. We visited the Anne Frank House, climbed the hill to the castle Neuschwanstein, took a cruise down the Rhine River, saw The Vatican, and Michelangelo's David, and more. We even took the touristy yet beautiful Sound of Music Tour in Salzburg.

By the time we got to Greece (our last stop before returning home), we were "all toured out" and exhausted. All we wanted to do was relax on the beach, never mind that we were blocks away from the ruins of The Parthenon. I have barely any pictures from Greece in my photo album, but the memories that stay in my mind from Athens have to do with the food. In Greece, I tasted the most delicious Greek food. In particular, I remember the rice pudding and the greatest Greek Salad I have ever tasted. It could be that it was in Europe that my love affair with food started. I found this recipe for Greek Salad and made it the other night with chicken thatI had marinated briefly in some of the dressing and grilled.  It took me right back to Athens.  εύγευστος! (Delicious!)


Greek Salad
From Food Network Kitchens
Ingredients
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons kosher salt plus more to taste
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, preferably Greek
2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano
Freshly ground black pepper
1 head romaine lettuce (about 1 pound), trimmed of tough stems and torn into bite-sized pieces
6 ounces kalamata olives, about 1 cup
1/2 pound Feta cheese, crumbled
1 English (seedless) cucumber, trimmed, cut into 1 inch chunks
12 ounces vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small red onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges, soaked in cold water for 5 minutes and drained
1 green pepper, trimmed, seeded, and diced
Directions
In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, garlic, salt, and oil. Stir in the oregano and pepper to taste. Set aside.

When ready to serve: In a large bowl lightly toss the lettuce with some of the dressing. Divide the lettuce among 4 salad bowls. Scatter the olives, cheese, cucumber, tomatoes, onion, and peppers over the top of the greens. Serve and pass the remaining dressing at the table.