Promiscuous Squash & Peanut Soup with Polenta Poppyseed Bread
The first few days home in San Francisco were windy and cold, I’ve never lived in this city without the protection of a hillside I suppose. Our gorgeous classic SF apartment has no heat, of course. I predict a soup filled fall & winter, which will be great considering the dozens if not hundreds of soup recipes in my “to try” binder, and the fantastic cheap grocer down the street (a weeks worth of veggies for $6, puts the farmers’ market to shame).
That first week was spent finishing off the produce my parents had brought up from their garden though. They had left a promiscuous squash - big like a carving pumpkin but with pale green and yellow stripes, that had probably grown past it’s prime. I found it flavourless in a polenta dish, and thought that this soup would be a fantastic way to use the rest up. The richness of the yam & the heat of the curry powder and jalapeno kicked up the flavour, and the Delia Day inspired seed bread served as a perfect complement to the creamy soup. You’ll want to bake the bread ahead of time.
Promiscuous Squash & Peanut Soup
serves 6
1 1/2 lbs squash (any winter variety will do)
1 yam
2 t olive oil
4 onions, sliced
3 c veggie stock
1 jalapeno or other hot pepper, minced
1/4 t curry powder
3 T peanut butter
1 T lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 425F. Peel the squash & yam and cut into large chucks, toss with olive oil and roast until soft (1 hour plus). While the squash is roasting, caramelize the onions (drizzle a large pan with olive oil, add onions, toss to coat, cook over low heat for at least 30 minutes).
Saute the caramelized onions, roasted squash, yams, minced jalapeno & curry powder in a stockpot. Cover with veggie stock and bring to a simmer. Add the peanut butter, lemon juice, salt & pepper. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth.
Serve with the Polenta Poppyseed Bread and good, unsalted, creamy butter.
Polenta Poppyseed Bread
makes 1 loaf
150g Polenta
175g Spelt flour
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
25g poppy seeds, plus more for topping
25g quick oats
50g toasted walnuts, chopped
1 t sugar
1 egg
275ml heavy cream
Preheat the oven to 375F.
Combine the dry ingredients.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and the cream, then stir into the dry mixture until well combined.
Pour into an oiled bread mold and sprinkle with the extra poppy seeds.
Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, until browned and cooked through. Remove from the oven and turn out of the mold. Return the loaf to the oven, placed upside down directly on the rack to crisp the bottom for 5-10 minutes.
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