carrot

If you didn’t know fall was here by chilly evenings then you certainly would know by the markets being filled with fabulous, and sometime freakish, squash. There are few things as warming and comforting as this creamy squash soup. There is a little heat from the cayenne and red pepper flakes, and the sweet potato gives it body. Roasting the squash, onion, apple, and potato first, maximizes the sweetness of the vegetables. You can use real cream, fat-free cream, or a non-dairy cream to make this vegan.

4 to 6 cups peeled butternut squash, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 large, sweet onion, sliced

1 apple, peeled, cored and cut into chunks

1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped

Place all in a roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast in 350′ oven about 45 minutes or until soft. While the squash roasts – prepare the rest of the ingredients.

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 cup finely diced celery

1 cup peeled and finely diced carrot

1 large leek, washed, chopped – not the tough green part

1 teaspoon marjoram

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1 – 2 cartons, 32 ounces vegetable broth

2 cups half and half, I used “fat free”

Warm the olive oil in a large soup pot. Sauté the leeks, carrot and celery, until soft. Add the roasted squash and other vegetables to the pot. Turn heat to low, place lid on pot and “sweat” the vegetables for about 5 minutes. Add the spices and seasonings and 1 carton of the vegetable broth. Reduce heat to low and simmer about an hour.

Puree the soup, either with an immersion blender, or puree in batches in a regular blender. Adjust the thickness of the soup by adding additional vegetable broth if needed. Adjust the seasonings to taste. Add the cream, warm on very low heat.

For the crouton

I found some fabulous Rosemary and Olive Oil Asiago cheese made by Sartori. The flavors blend so well with this soup, I decided to make a little crouton for a garnish.

Toast a slice of baguette for each serving of soup. Top with a few thin slices of Asiago cheese. Place the crouton on the soup and garnish with dried rosemary.

I haven’t made carrot cake for a very long time. I started looking through recipes and found this one, from Alton Brown, Food Network, 2005. I really like the fact that he reduces the typical amount of oil (usually two cups) by adding plain yogurt. The original recipe did not include nuts or currants / raisins, which I think are a must in a carrot cake! I did not have the proper size cake pan so I chose to use my “chicken fryer” skillet. It worked beautifully. The dessert plate is Aynsley Banquet. My Dad started my china collection by bringing me the tea set from England, in 1972 or 1973. Thanks to eBay, I now have complete service for 8!

For the cake

Canola oil spray, for the pan

2 1/2 cups, all-purpose flour

3 cups grated carrots

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cups sugar

1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

3 large eggs

3/4 cup plain yogurt

3/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

3/4 cup currants (I don’t like raisins, but you could use them)

Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Oil a 9-inch round and 3-inch deep cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside. (I had 10″ and 6″ cake pans. I improvised by using my frying pan!)

Put the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt in a large mixing bowl, and fluff with a whisk.. Add the carrots and toss until they are well-coated with the flour.

In another bowl combine the sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and yogurt and mix with an electric mixer. Drizzle in the oil while the mixer is running. Add the currants and chopped nuts. Mix well with a large spoon. Pour this mixture into the carrot mixture and stir until just combined.

Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 45 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees F and bake for another 20 minutes or until the cake reaches 205 to 210 degrees F in the center.

Remove the pan from the oven and allow cake to cool 15 minutes in the pan. After 15 minutes, turn the cake out onto a rack and allow cake to cool completely. Frost with cream cheese frosting after cake has cooled completely.

For the frosting

8 ounces cream cheese

2 Tablespoons of butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

In a mixing bowl combine the cream cheese and butter using an electric mixer, on medium, until mixed. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. With the speed on low, add the powdered sugar in 4 batches and beat until smooth between each addition.

Place the frosting in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes before using.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Asiago Cheese Crouton

The Best Carrot Cake