Butternut Squash

Hi everybody, this is LaVonne. I'll be taking care of the harvest and market tomorrow as Ben is on vacation up in Maine this week. I've been trying to hold down the fort while he's gone - trellising and suckering tomatoes, taking out the old corn stalks and, as always, there are plenty of weeds waiting to be pulled. It was brought to my attention that a couple of the Sugar Baby Watermelons distributed last week were unripe. Please let me know if this was the case for yours, too, and I'll hook you up with one this week. Never hesitate to tell us if something is off with your produce, we're always learning new things as first year farmers, and it is really helpful to have your input.

In your CSA bags you can expect to find a couple of lemon cucumbers, a variety of tomatoes, blackeyed peas, a melon, some genovese basil (great for making pesto), and a butternut squash. Below you'll find a recipe for butternut squash soup from The Foster's Market Cookbook.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Tomatoes and Thyme

1 butternut squash, cut in half lengthwise and seeds removed
1/4 cup olive oil
6 medium tomatoes, cored and halved
4 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 red onion, diced
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
6 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup fresh thyme leaves, or 4 teaspoons dried
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage, or 1 teaspoon dried
juice of 2 oranges

1. Preheat oven to 450
2. Place squash cut side down in large baking dish. Add 1 cup water and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the dish and roast 35 to 40 minutes, until squash is soft to the touch.
3. Toss tomatoes and garlic with 2 tbs of the oil and the vinegar in a baking dish. Roast 30 to 35 minutes or until soft and skin is slightly shriveled. Let cool, then lightly crush tomatoes into small pieces, saving the juice. Set aside until ready to use.
4. Heat the rest of the olive oil and butter over medium heat in large saucepan. Add onion, cook and stir for 10 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add carrot and celery and cook another 10 to 15 minutes, stirring constantly.
5. Add the broth, salt, pepper and reduce heat to low; simmer uncovered, 20 to 25 minutes.
6. Scoop the squash flesh from its skin and add to soup. Simmer another 20 minutes.
7. Remove from heat and add spices. Cool slightly and puree in a food processor with a metal blade. Return to pot, add tomatoes, their juice, and orange juice. Serve immediately. (it also freezes well)

*I'm a big advocate of altering recipes, so if it seems too daunting or like there are too many ingredients, just make it work for you!

See you soon,

LaVonne