The One With The Squash - Part One
When Mother did the grocery shopping on Friday, she came back with a butternut squash which prompted me to ask "And what do you intend to do with that?" Response - "Erm..... mash it?" I know squash is quite popular in the States but over here it couldn't be less common if it tried. I made the mistake of finding a recipe on the label for soup, hence today is the day that Tate makes soup. This should be interesting.
Butternut Squash Soup:
Ingredients: 2 onions, chopped; 3 tbsp butter; 500g butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced; 1 apple, chopped; 3 tbsp flour; 1 tsp curry powder; pinch of nutmeg; 750ml chicken or vegetable stock; 400ml milk; juice and rind of 1 orange; pinch of sugar; seasoning; cream and parsley for decoration.
1. Soften onions in butter, then add the butternut squash, apple and fry for a few minutes.
2. Remove from the heat and add flour, curry powder and nutmeg, stir well. Slowly add chicken or vegetable stock, milk and orange. Return to the heat and bring to the boil. Gently simmer for 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Blend in a liquidiser until smooth, then add a pinch of sugar and season well.
Serve with a swirl of cream and chopped parsley.
10.30am - Looks at recipe. Realises does not have apple or orange. Battles gale force wind (not kidding here!) to corner shop. Cost=38p, bargain!
10.50am - Checks e-mail.
11.05am - Looks at squash. Decides to do orange first. Finally finds juicer at very back of cupboard. Grates and juices orange. Now has orange coloured and scented hands. Ick.
11.30am - Makes vegetable stock. Peels and chops apple. Looks at squash. Decides to chop onion instead. Now has red onion scented hands. Yarg.
11.45am - Wonders how you peel a squash. Curses Mother. Attacks it with knife. End up with v. sore knuckles ( don't ask!) Finally manages to chop it up. Curses Mother some more.
12.00pm - Finally ready to start cooking. Wonders how you measure butter in tablespoons. Remembers old recipe book that gives equivalent in ounces. Knows are not supposed to mix metric and imperial measures but can't be arsed now.
12.05pm - Fries onions. Realises am v. hungry. Adds apple and squash as appropriate. Wonders what to have for dinner.
12.10pm - Measures out flour and spices. Finds out do not actually have any nutmeg. Uses mixed spice instead. Has to substitute paprika for curry powder as well. Hopes this will not matter too much. Hopes soup will taste better than it smells right now.
12.15pm - Adds stock, orange and milk. Hopes soup will taste better than it looks right now as milk has seperated out a bit.
12.20pm - Stops for dinner.
To be continued...
Butternut Squash Soup:
Ingredients: 2 onions, chopped; 3 tbsp butter; 500g butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced; 1 apple, chopped; 3 tbsp flour; 1 tsp curry powder; pinch of nutmeg; 750ml chicken or vegetable stock; 400ml milk; juice and rind of 1 orange; pinch of sugar; seasoning; cream and parsley for decoration.
1. Soften onions in butter, then add the butternut squash, apple and fry for a few minutes.
2. Remove from the heat and add flour, curry powder and nutmeg, stir well. Slowly add chicken or vegetable stock, milk and orange. Return to the heat and bring to the boil. Gently simmer for 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Blend in a liquidiser until smooth, then add a pinch of sugar and season well.
Serve with a swirl of cream and chopped parsley.
10.30am - Looks at recipe. Realises does not have apple or orange. Battles gale force wind (not kidding here!) to corner shop. Cost=38p, bargain!
10.50am - Checks e-mail.
11.05am - Looks at squash. Decides to do orange first. Finally finds juicer at very back of cupboard. Grates and juices orange. Now has orange coloured and scented hands. Ick.
11.30am - Makes vegetable stock. Peels and chops apple. Looks at squash. Decides to chop onion instead. Now has red onion scented hands. Yarg.
11.45am - Wonders how you peel a squash. Curses Mother. Attacks it with knife. End up with v. sore knuckles ( don't ask!) Finally manages to chop it up. Curses Mother some more.
12.00pm - Finally ready to start cooking. Wonders how you measure butter in tablespoons. Remembers old recipe book that gives equivalent in ounces. Knows are not supposed to mix metric and imperial measures but can't be arsed now.
12.05pm - Fries onions. Realises am v. hungry. Adds apple and squash as appropriate. Wonders what to have for dinner.
12.10pm - Measures out flour and spices. Finds out do not actually have any nutmeg. Uses mixed spice instead. Has to substitute paprika for curry powder as well. Hopes this will not matter too much. Hopes soup will taste better than it smells right now.
12.15pm - Adds stock, orange and milk. Hopes soup will taste better than it looks right now as milk has seperated out a bit.
12.20pm - Stops for dinner.
To be continued...