squash-tastic

...from this point on the only squash soup recipe I'll use is the Smoky Squash Soup from French Food at Home. I know I already mentioned it in my Weekend Round-Up post but it really deserves more specific mention. Now, I love squash. I really love squash. Therefore squash soup is the equivalent to a giant pot of food perfection for me. We've tried a lot of squash recipes and while those are quite good, this one is SO good it's worthy of being the go-to squash soup for me. Except for a curried squash soup...so maybe I have 2 go-to squash soup recipes depending on my mood. So well played annoying Laura Calder....well played. If you share my love of the squash, please try this recipe. It's beyond delicious.

Smoky Squash Soup Yield: 8
Ingredients:
4 pounds squash or pumpkin, seeded, cut into 1" chunks and peeled
1 tbsp olive oil
6 x slices smoky bacon, chopped
1 x medium onion
Water or stock, as needed
1 cup cream or milk
salt and pepper
pinch nutmeg
About 2 Tbsp crème fraiche or sour cream (optional)
About 2 Tbsp chopped chives (optional)

Directions:
Heat the oven to 400ºF/200ºC. Toss the squash chunks with the oil in a roasting pan, and bake until very soft, about an hour. Fry the bacon in a soup pot, remove to paper towel to drain, then crumble and set aside. In the same pot, with a spoonful of the bacon fat left in, gently sauté the onion until translucent.
When the squash chunks are cooked, add them to the pot with a little water or stock. Purée with a hand-held blender, adding more water if needed to make a thick soup. Stir in the cream, heat gently, taste, and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Ladle the soup into bowls. Put a dollop of sour cream in each, sprinkle with the bacon and chives, grind over a little black pepper, and serve.