The Morning After...The Feast

Yesterday I had a beautiful Thanksgiving celebration with my new family. It was my first Thanksgiving at my in law’s house in Connecticut and we had SOME good eats. My husband’s mother graciously cooked for what seemed like two full days and she put together many beautiful (and tasty) seasonal dishes. Everything looked and tasted so good and we all definitely ate our fill. She made:

• Goat cheese toasts
• Fennel and pistachio dressing
• Cipolline baby onions in with a balsamic reduction
• Cauliflower with almonds, capers and raisins
• Brussels sprouts and chestnuts in a brown butter sauce
• Cranberry-orange sauce
• Garlic red skinned mashed potatoes
• Shredded brussels sprouts with lemon and poppy seeds
• Gruyere creamed spinach au gratin
• Apple Pie
• Pecan Pie
• Pumpkin Pie

Oh….and 2 enormous organic free-range turkeys roasted on The Big Green Egg!

What REALLY stood out was the delicious Butternut Squash and Apple Soup we had before our feast. The recipe comes from Ina Graten’s 2001 cookbook, Barefoot Contessa Parties! and it’s a simple soup to whip up.

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 large)
• 2 tablespoons mild curry powder
• 5 pounds butternut squash (2 large)
• 1 1/2 pounds sweet apples, such as McIntosh (4 apples)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups good apple cider or juice

Directions

Warm the butter, olive oil, onions, and curry powder in a large stockpot uncovered over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the onions are tender. Stir occasionally, scraping the bottom of the pot.

Peel the squash, cut in half, and remove the seeds. Cut the squash into chunks. Peel, quarter, and core the apples. Cut into chunks.

Add the squash, apples, salt, pepper, and 2 cups of water to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, until the squash and apples are very soft. Process the through a food mill or a blender, or puree it coarsely in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade.

Pour the back into the pot. Add the apple cider or juice and enough water to make the consistency you like; it should be slightly sweet and quite thick. Check the salt and pepper and serve hot.

Mrs. Lennon garnished each of our bowls of soup with a crispy pan-fried sage garnish. It was a nice added touch.

This soup would make a hearty weeknight meal through the fall and winter, just make a big batch and freeze the leftovers. Serve it up with a piece of whole-wheat baguette and you’re set to go.