perfect fall butternut squash bisque

a rich, delicious squash bisque, redolent with the flavors of Fall. this would be wonderful served at the beginning of a Thanksgiving dinner, or anytime during the Fall/Winter seasons.

• 2 butternut squash, ~ 2 pounds each?, cut in half from stem to blossom end, seeds removed
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter
• 1 small yellow onion, diced finely
• 3-5 stalks celery (depending on size -- ideally, 5 of the paler, more tender inner stalks), diced finely
• 1/4 teaspoon ground, dried thyme, or 1-1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, minced
• 1/8 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1-1/2 teaspoons fresh sage leaves, minced (optional)
• pinch of kosher salt
• a few grinds of black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 quart good chicken stock
• 1-2 cups heavy cream
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

to garnish:

• 1 cup slivered almonds, squash seeds or pumpkin seeds toasted with a dab of oil (olive oil or ghee are ideal), salt, pepper and paprika until golden brown, set aside to cool
• (optional) a little bowl of fresh thyme leaves and/or finely slivered fresh sage leaves

preheat oven to 350. line baking sheets with parchment paper, lightly butter the paper and place squash on it, cut side down. roast in oven for 45 minutes - 1 hour, until done. remove from oven to cooling racks, flip cut side up and let cool while you prepare the onions.

while the squash is cooling, melt the butter over medium-high heat and saute the onion with a pinch of salt. add the celery after about 5 minutes. reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until onion is translucent and slightly golden brown on the edges. add chicken stock and bring to a simmer.

with a good-sized spoon, scoop the butternut squash flesh out and place in a bowl, discarding the skins. add the squash flesh to the simmering soup mixture on the stove and allow to cook together for 5-10 minutes, to marry the flavors. turn off the burner, remove the bay leaves and discard; they've done their job. either use an immersion (stick) blender, or remove soup in batches to a blender or food processor to puree until it's velvety smooth (it's much easier with the immersion blender; you will have to be very careful with a regular blender or food processor when pureeing hot soup, as it tends to expand the air in the blender and blow the lid off, making a big, potentially painful mess. you can get decent immersion blenders for $30 - $40 now; I recommend them highly if you can fit it in your budget). if you've used a regular blender or food processor, return all the pureed soup to the pot (if you've used the recommended immersion blender, it's already in there). add a cup of the cream and bring the soup to a simmer, stirring regularly. taste and assess. add more chicken stock or some water if it's too thick; add more cream if it needs more richness. adjust all seasonings; salt and pepper to taste. at this point, it should taste like much more than the sum of its parts; it should taste like a combination of the essence of Fall and Thanksgiving. serve with suggested garnishes and enjoy.

pasta with roasted butternut squash & brown butter

the combination of roasted butternut squash, brown butter, parmigiana and sage is simply heavenly. ravioli stuffed with sweet, rich winter squash is classic, but also a fair amount of work to make from scratch. I wanted those flavors in a dish that was easy to make; cooking bits of roasted squash in brown butter with freshly-cooked pasta did the trick. I tossed in some potatoes (Yukon Golds are ideal, but feel free to use a different variety, as long as you choose a firm, non-mealy potato -- russet potatoes won't work here), onion and carrots to roast alongside the squash, and their flavors contributed to the dish. of course, as long as you have plenty of roasted squash, you can skip the other veggies if you don't have them on hand. for those who doubt the wisdom of combining potatoes and pasta, they complement each other and meld to become the very definition of "comfort food."

• 1 small butternut squash, cut in half, seeds removed
• 2 small Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed
• 2-3 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 1 onion, cut into strips or slices
• butter to grease roasting pan
• 6 tablespoons cold butter
• 4 tablespoons fresh sage leaves: 1 tablespoon whole, 3 tablespoons sliced into a fine chiffonade
• a few sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1/4 cup + grated parmigiana reggiano (or grana padano)
• tiny pinch ground nutmeg
• kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 pound dried pasta, cooked al dente
• *1/2 package (4 ounces) cream cheese or neufchatel, optional

heat oven to 400 degrees F. arrange squash (cut side down), onions, potatoes and carrots in roasting pan, strew whole sage leaves and thyme sprigs over top and roast for 40-50 minutes, until all vegetables are tender. remove herbs and discard. cut carrots and potatoes into a small dice, remove skin from squash and chop into a larger dice. 

heat 6 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat until browned -- not too fast! you don't want the butter to burn. your goal is to cook the milk solids until the butter is deep golden brown with darker brown flecks. it should smell indescribably delicious. pour 4 tablespoons of the butter out into a bowl, and toss in the sliced fresh sage. return the pan with the remaining 2 tablespoons of brown butter to the burner, and toss in the carrots, potatoes and onions. saute for a few minutes to soften vegetables, then add the squash. toss around and smash the squash with the back of a wooden spoon until some of the water is cooked out, and the squash is creamy and soft. add the smallest pinch of nutmeg, and season to taste with salt and pepper. pour in the reserved brown butter with sage and the cooked pasta, and toss over medium heat until warmed through. add in the parmigiana, taste again for salt & pepper and voila, it's ready to serve!

*if you want to send this dish over the top (and why wouldn't you?), stir a few ounces of cream cheese or neufchatel in at the end. the creamy flavor goes perfectly with the squash, and your eyes will roll back into your head. really!