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Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup
- 1 2 1/2-pound butternut squash
- 1 cup onions, diced
- 1/2 cup carrots, diced
- 1/2 cup celery, diced
- 2 apples, peeled, cored, and diced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 6 ounces white wine
- 3 cups apple cider
- 2 quarts chicken stock
- 4 star anises
- 5 parsley stems
- 10 black peppercorns
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- Roast the butternut squash at 425° F until soft.
- Sauté the onions, carrots, celery, and apples with the ginger, allspice, and nutmeg.
- Deglaze with the white wine and cider.
- Add the squash, chicken stock, and cider with a sachet containing the star anise, parsley, 10 black peppercorns, and thyme. Simmer until the squash is tender.
- Remove the sachet. Puree the soup and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Pass the soup through a fine strainer. Adjust consistency, if desired, by adding additional stock.
Country-Style Cornbread
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 3/4 cup bread flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- Preheat oven to 350° F and place a 9-inch skillet inside.
- Mix together the cornmeal, bread flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients until blended.
- Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and combine until just mixed.
- Remove the skillet from the oven and brush the inside lightly with vegetable oil.
- Pour the batter into the skillet and bake until the surface is golden brown and springs back when lightly pressed with a fingertip, 25 to 30 minutes.
- Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
