The Veggie Queen: Jill's Recipes

Educator, Author/Writer, Speaker & Consultant

Recipes from The Veggie Queen, Vegetables Get the Royal Treatment

Read Soup's On

Curried Pear and Squash Soup

Serves 4-6

Even though squash is sweet, it still tastes great paired with pear. If you like, you can add a pinch of cayenne for contrast, in addition to the lemon juice in the recipe.

3 delicata squash, roasted, to equal 2 cups
1 small onion, diced
1 medium D'anjou or comice pear, peeled and cut into chunks
2-3 teaspoons or more curry powder
2 tablespoons chicken flavored broth powder
4 cups water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

Roast the squash in the oven at 350 degrees until a knife is easily inserted into the squash, about 25 minutes. Cool and scrape pulp from skin.

Heat the stock pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes until it softens. Add the pear and curry powder and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the broth powder and water and simmer for 10 minutes until the pear is soft. Add the roasted squash and simmer for another 10 minutes to blend flavors. Using a hand blender, puree until desired consistency. Taste and add the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley or cilantro. Serve hot.

Soup’s On

In the fifteen plus years that I have lived in Sonoma County a number of farmers have come and gone at the Santa Rosa Farmer’s Market. The most recent departure is Larry Rogers who headed to Washington state.

A large red-haired guy, Larry was always cheerful and generous. When his apples, peppers and squash were in season he would show up at the market no matter what the weather. He sold other produce too, all grown organically. That was important to him and also to me.

Larry and I would often laugh about the number of people that would ask him if his winter squash was edible. He thought that more people bought them as decorations than as food. I must admit that they are beautiful and add color to a winter table but the taste is what keeps me coming back.

And just so you know, they do not all taste the same. If you’ve only tried butternut or acorn squash it is time to branch out. My favorite squash is delicata but I also like buttercup, red kuri, sunshine and blue hubbard, among others.
Here are some ideas for what to do with your squash. Invite friends over for a big pot of soup. Steam a few different squash varieties in one pot and do a side by side taste test. Or peel and cut them in cubes and roast them. Taste them all side by side to compare their particular appeal. Imagine chunks of creamy sweetness in chili, soup, stew or even dessert; play and experiment.

Sometimes the best squash is that which has been given to you. Stewart, a fellow mushroom hunter, grows huge banana squash. Every time I have seen him since the squash- harvesting season, which is usually in late September or early October, he has been giving away squash. While this is not my favorite kind of squash because it is not especially sweet or dense, banana squash works well to fill up the soup pot, letting the flavor of the delicatas that I prefer shine through. Never overlook the gift of squash for soup you shall have.

From The Veggie Queen: Vegetables Get the Royal Treatment by Jill Nussinow, MS, RD

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