From harvest to plate.

I love squash but I've always been in a minority of one in this house.  I've tried cooking them loads of different ways but at best I've only ever been able to persuade 1 lad to feign interest in roasted butternut squash.  After growing so many at the plot this year I decided to give it one last try, well I guess it turned into 2 last attempts

I decided on a blind taste trial and set about gathering the ingredients for a soup I had in mind. 

I chopped a couple of large onions, peeled a butternut squash, crown prince pumpkin, winter dumpling and sweet potato.  I roasted a chunk of each squash to use in the blind taste trial I had in mind for the Chief Squash Hater, Mr Lottie and threw the rest into a large pan with the diced onion.  I covered the veg with a mixture of veg and chicken stock because it was all I had, next time I make it I think I'll use all chicken stock.  Added some grated nutmeg, a couple of garlic cloves, a couple of bay leaves, a small bundle of thyme and a good grind of pepper and left to bubble away until everything was soft oh and the rind from a wedge of parmesan I had saved.

That's what I love about soup, there are no hard and fast rules.  As long as you use onions and stock the rest is pretty much up to you.  When all the veg was soft, out came the bay leaves and parmesan rind then into the liquidizer until smooth.  It was a bit thick so I added a little more stock.  Easy peasy.

Before forcing asking Mr Lottie to taste the soup, it was onto the blind taste test.  I fogot to take pictures but the results were as followed: Butternut squash was his outright winner!!!  I suspect it's because they're not quite ripe and didn't get the chance to mature on the vine, so not as sweet as shop bought ones?  Who knows.  Next was the sweet winter dumpling which had yellow flesh and a dry texture, almost like a potato.  Last but by no means hated was the Crown Prince.  They were a definite hit.

And the soup?  The same.  He enjoyed it.  Not only that but 2 of the Lottie boys tried it and loved it too.  And the neighbour.  Who would have thought, so many converts in just one day.  I'm going to use this site as a guide to the varieties I choose next year.  There's a few good growing tips to be had too.