What I did with last week's Box Part 2

Yesterday the avocados were perfect, so I made guacamole. I have to say, it was fantastic. There is nothing like a good quacamole! The added squeeze of lime juice was a bonus. Everyone makes it differently, and I usually use jarred salsa, but I didn't have any, but by some stroke of luck I had fresh tomatoes, cilantro, spring oniions, garlic, and it was perfect. It did not last long around here.

Today was a chilly 76 degrees here in the Valley, so I decided to make some soup. I have been staring at a huge butternut squash since Wednesday, deciding what to do with it. To roast or not to roast? Soup? I finally decided to do both. The last time I made soup with one, I roasted it, and it added something extra to the flavor, plus made it a lot easier to work with. Raw squash is very hard to chop and peel. I consulted a few cookbooks, and finally came up with my own version of a couple of the recipes I found. The items from my Farm Fresh To You box are highlighted below. Here is what I came up with:

North African Spiced Butternut Squash Soup

All measurements are approximate: Soup is not an exact science

4 Shallots- Chopped
6 Cloves of Garlic- Chopped
2-3 Leeks
Grapeseed Oil

Ground Ginger, Cinnamon, Cayenne Pepper, Salt (see approximate amounts below)
2-3 Cups Vegetable Stock or Water
1- 2 Butternut Squash
2 or 3 red, orange or yellow peppers, or mini peppers
1 26 oz Can of Chopped or Whole peeled Tomatoes with juice
1 Lime
Small bunch of Cilantro, Chopped

Saute Shallots, Garlic, and Leeks in Grapeseed Oil until soft
Add the following: ¼ tsp ground ginger, ¼ tsp cinnamon, 14/ tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste), 1 /2 tsp. salt

In the meantime, take 1 Butternut Squash (mine was huge), poke a couple holes in it with a fork, and place on a pan in a 375- 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes, til it softens a little. Take out, cool,, cut in half and peel. Slice into big slices, remove seeds, and place on an oiled foil lined pan, and put back in oven for approx 15 more minutes. Take out and cool a bit until you can handle it, and cut it into cubes. Add to pot with sauted shallots, etc, along with 2 cups of Vegetable stock or water. Allow to simmer 15- 20 minutes.

Next, cut and seed peppers, and add to the pot along with the can of tomatoes. Add Salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and simmer for a bit longer. When the squash has softened, you can stop cooking. Squeeze in juice of ½ Lime, add more if you like. You can puree it or leave it chunky. I pureed it and garnished with the cilantro when serving. Delicious!