A Nice Saturday Soup

Melissa and I got up early this morning (about 7 AM) and had coffee in the courtyard while we pruned some plants in the garden. The renovation project that has put a lid on our patio (with plenty of construction debris to spare) for almost a year is winding up and now we have some cleanup to do.

After getting the painting we recently bought for our first wedding anniversary to the framers and making brief appearances in the lab, we had a relaxing afternoon of naps and reading. Then Melissa sent me to the store for "some goat cheese and a pumpkin." I knew she meant a squash, probably acorn or butternut, but not the big orange Halloween beast we usually refer to as a pumpkin in this country...

Melissa had a roasted vegetable salad in mind, but I suggested butternut squash soup and she ran with it. Thick and creamy, but not overly heavy, it was blended from butternut squash that had first been roasted in the oven. Cream, chicken stock, nutmeg, fresh thyme, salt and pepper, and topped with a generous slug of really nice goat cheese. Mmmmmm... Goat cheese... Served with hot, crusty sourdough rolls and a 2006 Sebastiani Chardonnay (Sonoma, CA). Sebastiani is a recent favorite of ours since our grocery store has it for $10 or $11 -- crisp and fruity with all of the cream and toffee flavors that come from a well-oaked California chardonnay. Good pairing.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Melissa's Recipe

Butternut Squash Soup

1 butternut squash/pumpkin
Olive oil for roasting
~1 cup of chicken or vegetable broth
100ml of light cream
100g of soft goat cheese
1 tsp of fresh thyme leaves - chopped
1/8 tsp nutmeg
salt and pepper to season

Peel and cut squash into chunks and oven roast with salt and olive oil until tender and turning brown at tips. Remove from oven and place in large pot. Add broth, cream, ~1/2 of goat cheese and nutmeg to pot. Puree with a hand blender to get smooth, or simply mash as the pumpkin/squash will fall apart easily. Adjust broth amount to get desired thickness of soup. Heat to serving temperature. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon into serving bowl and float a round disc of goat cheese. Add a sprig of fresh thyme to garnish.