August 13, 2008 

  ompany over for dinner last night. Although it was just soup and sandwiches, they were pretty darn good. I went to the store to grab some milk and went by the bakery section, where they had these interesting flatbreads. I then got some honey ham, portabella mushrooms, I already had a Walla Walla onion at home, some sweet onion dressing, some fresh dill from the garden, and some farmers cheese. A touch of red pepper jelly on them and then BBQ'd, it was lovely.

For the soup I made something I knew someone would not like, but thought he would try it and perhaps like it as everyone else has.

Kabocha Squash Soup

1 medium Kabocha squash
1 large red onion
Olive oil
3 to 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
Pepper to taste - I also used Cajun spice and crushed red chilis
Sour Cream
Ground Hazelnuts/Filberts

1. Stab the squash several times, put it on a cookie sheet, and bake it in a 350 degree oven for about an hour. Remove it and let cool.
2. Scoop out the seeds, and separate the flesh from the skin. Put the cooked squash in a large bowl or pot.
3. Chop one large or two small onions, and sauté in olive oil over medium heat until caramelized. Add the onions to the squash.
4. Add 3 cups chicken broth, stir all ingredients a bit.
5. Run the soup mixture through a blender, portion by portion, until you've blended it all. At this point, you can add more broth to make the consistency you like.
6. Add pepper to taste, and a dollop of sour cream, a sprinkling of the nuts and chopped chives in each bowl if desired.

I cooked the seeds in the oven.. I just use sesame seed oil and soy sauce to soak them in for a bit and then cook in a slow 200F oven until they are brownish.

I also served some fresh baby peas out of the garden, barely steamed with real butter.

The Autumn issue of the magazine is coming along and I hope to have printed within 2 weeks. I would so love to have this one out early.