Friday, November 7, 2008

Baby it's cold outside! I can't give a good report about the sideways sleet outside my window. It's November, in Northern Illinois and there is rarely any good report about sideways sleet or November.

Squishy Albright-ish garden veges hang from boney, soon-to-be slimey vines. And my food lament begins in earnest. I wax melancholy for the Farmer's Market. What oh, what to cook.

Squash. It's good comfort food. This year the Delicatas from Driftless Organics brought tears to my eyes they were so delicious. I carted home 30 lbs. Those young garadening Turks have never steered me wrong.

I am partial to squash soup with splash of apple cider. Just a bit of sweet. Not a lot is needed when you have squash this good. Little doctoring is required, mostly assemblage.

Slash the Delacatas or Carnivals, or baby dumplings..(it's all good!)....Roast the halves until squashy (couldn't resist), scoop it out cut up a few apples, a quart or so of good broth (I hope you made it from your good organic and free-ranged hens) grind up some French sea salt, a grunt of pepper. Not too much else. This soup is not a platform for excesses! Puree it all --serve it up with a dollop of creme fraiche and something green--a sage leaf plucked just before last nights frost will warm you almost as much as the soup.

Eat this in your warm, fuzzy slipper and an old robe. Pretend that it is not sleeting sideways, grey snow outside.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008