Roasted Squash Soup With Popcorn Food

ROASTED ACORN SQUASH SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Put squash into a baking dish with the cut side down. Pour enough water into the baking dish to cover the bottom.
• Bake in preheated oven until the flesh of the squash is easily pricked with a fork, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool until squash can be handled. Scoop flesh into a bowl and set aside.
• Melt butter in a pot over medium-high heat. Cook onion, carrot, and garlic in melted butter until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Pour chicken stock into the pot; add the squash.
• Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
• Pour mixture into a blender no more than half full. Cover and hold lid down; pulse a few times before leaving on to blend. Puree in batches until smooth and return to pot.
• Stir half-and-half, nutmeg, and cinnamon through the blended soup; season with salt and pepper. Thin the soup with water if desired.

ROASTED SQUASH SOUP WITH POPCORN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375?F.
• Place the squash on a flat surface and split them in half lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds and arrange in a single layer on one or two baking sheets.
• In a small saucepan, melt 1 stick of the butter completely over medium heat. Wait until it starts to turn a light brown color. Remove from heat and immediately distribute the butter into the cavities of the squash halves. Sprinkle with the brown sugar and Molasses as well.
• Season the insides with salt and pepper. Finish by covering with the ground (dry) ginger, fresh ginger, and the ground cloves. Fill the bottom of the tray(s) with the water (should be about 1 inch high) to create steam while the squash bakes in the oven. Cover the tray(s) with aluminum foil and seal the edges tightly.
• Place the tray(s) in the center of the oven and bake, undisturbed, for 2 hours. To check for doneness, pierce one of the halves with the tip of a small knife. The knife should slide in and out easily. If at all firm, bake the halves an additional 30-45 minutes. Remove from the oven. Carefully peel back the foil. Set aside to cool.
• Make the Soup: Using a large spoon, scoop the flesh from the squash, taking care not to take any skin with it. The skin can give a bitter flavor; however, take care to retain all of the cooking liquid inside the squash. That will add a lot of flavor to the soup. Gather all of the squash in a large pot. Turn the heat on low. Add half of the orange zest, the orange juice, the Worcestershire Sauce and the garlic. Stir to blend. Taste for seasoning. If the squash lacks sweetness, add a little Molasses. If it lacks salt, add a little salt or Worcestershire Sauce.
• In a medium saucepan, heat the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat until it turns light brown. Pour over the squash, stirring to blend. In the same pot, heat the milk, heavy cream, and two cups of the water. Season the liquid with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.
• Stir the milk mixture into the squash and stir to blend. Once the mixture has returned to a simmer, taste for seasoning.
• Puree the soup in small batches in a blender. Combine all the batches and taste for seasoning. If the soup needs more flavor, add salt, extra orange zest or pepper, as needed. If the soup is too thick, add the additional cup of water and blend. Serve the soup family style or ladle the soup into individual bowls with popcorn on the side.

CREAM OF PATTY PAN SQUASH AND SWEET CORN SOUP

Steps:

• Place dried navy beans into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let soak, 8 hours to overnight. Drain.
• Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons of water in a pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and more water if necessary; saute for 2 minutes. Add vegetable broth, pre-soaked beans, curry powder, lemon balm, white pepper, and cayenne; bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until beans are nearly tender, about 1 hour. Add squash to the simmering beans and bring back to a very slow boil. Simmer until squash and beans are tender, about 30 minutes more. Allow to cool slightly; use an immersion blender or transfer to a blender to blend until soup is smooth and creamy.
• Add corn to the pot and adjust seasoning as necessary. Heat to a slow boil and then reduce to a simmer. Continue to simmer until corn is tender, about 10 minutes.

CORN AND SQUASH SOUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels; drain, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings. , In the drippings, saute onion and celery until tender. Stir in flour until blended. Gradually stir in broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. , Reduce heat to medium. Stir in the squash, corn, cream, parsley, salt, pepper and bacon. Cook and stir until heated through. Garnish with sour cream if desired.