Bibliofreakblog

Fall Festival Recipe Exchange

The uber-awesomeness that is My Friend Amy has apparently recovered from her post-BBAW fatigue and hooked us up with the best thing to go with reading: Food.

Well, O.K., so this is teh internets and she hasn’t literally hooked us up with food.  However, she created this whole Mr. Linky post for us to share our favorite fall recipes.  

I knew instantly which recipe I’d share.  It’s may favorite fall recipe, one I’ve made the past few autumns, ever since I photocopied it out of my friend’s book at work.

The book is Seattle Kitchen, the author is Tom Douglas.  I think that it is a prerequisite that every Seattlite should own at least one cookbook by Tom Douglas.  He is…amazing.  I’ve never ever made anything from his books that wasn’t excellent.

So, here it is:  Sweet Butternut Soup with Thyme Crème Fraîche:

Ingrediants

3 1/2 lbs butternut squash
2 TBS olive oil + extra for brushing the squash
1 TBS unsalted butter
4 cups thinly sliced onions (about 2 onions)
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 
1/2 chopped fresh sage
1/2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp sherry vinegar
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Thyme Crème Fraîche (see below)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Cut the sqash in half and scoop out the seeds. Brush the cut edges lightly with oil and place, but side down, on a baking sheet or glass pan.  Roast the squash until very soft, about 1 1/4 hours.  Remove from the oven.  When cool enough to handle, scoop the squash meat from the skin and set aside.

2. While the squash is roasting, caramelize the onions:  Heat the butter with the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-low heat.  Add the onions and cook slowly, stirring occasionally until they are soft and uniformly golden brown, 25-30 minutes.  Set aside.

3.  In a food processor, process the squash, onions and 1 cup of the chicken stock until smooth.  Transfer the puree to a large pot.  Add the remaining 2 cups chicken stock and heat the soup to a simmer, whisking a few times.  Add the heavy cream, chopped herbs, and sherry vinegar.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  

4. Ladle the hot soup into bowls and serview with a swirl of crème fraîche

You can make this soup a few days ahead of time.  To serve, just reheat.

Thyme Crème Fraîche

1/2 cup crème fraîche (or you can substitute sour cream)
2 tsps chopped fresh thyme
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Place the crème fraîche and thyme in a bowl and whisk until smooth.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!