Fasten your seats belts, this a recipe you'll make again and again. I've been making it so long, I'm not even sure where the recipe came from. This recipe is a standard in my Autumn Soup class. It's easy, and SO good. My friend Meghan gave the recipe to a local restaurant and asked them to make it for her bridal shower. People loved the soup. Even those not too keen on squash soup. It can be a fancy appetizer course or a casual supper. The bacon and apple make it sweet, salty and savory. It's got Fall written all over it.

Here are the top three reasons I love this soup (as pictured above):

1. I love butternut squash

2. I love leeks, onion, and garlic

3. Can I love more things? Bacon, Sour Cream and Apples

To start your soup, find a nice big pot, and fry the bacon strips in the bottom. Place the bacon on a plate with a paper towel, to drain and cool. Then chop into little garnishing pieces and set aside. If you have a lot of drippings, pour some off. Keep about 1/2 - 1 Tablespoon in the pan. Add a little olive oil if you need it, and then add the onion, garlic, and leeks. Cook until the onions are looking clear. Now add the chunks of squash, the apple, chicken stock, water and a bay leaf. Add some salt and pepper, and simmer. Fifteen minutes. Yes, you read that correctly. Just 15 minutes, and your squash should be tender.

The soup after the simmer, ready for the blender.

Here's where you can be creative. If you like your soup chunky, you could mash it, or use an immersion blender to make it smoother but chunky. I'm a smoooooth soup person. Think liquid velvet. I use my VitaMix and whirl it to smooth. You could also use a food processor or blender. Just please be careful. The soup is very hot, and any of the tools can spew soup without warning.

After you've arrived at your desired consistency, Ladle your pretty soup in a bowl and garnish with sour cream/Greek yogurt/creme fraiche, the bacon pieces and even some diced apple.

To print this recipe, click HERE

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup with Bacon

2 slices bacon

1 medium onion, chopped

1 large leek, chopped (both white and light green parts)

1 - 2 garlic cloves

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 pounds butternut squash, seeded and chopped into 1 inch pieces (about 1 medium/large)

1-2 apples (seeded, peeling and chopped)

2 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup water for thinning soup

Sour cream, Greek yogurt or Creme Fraiche for garnish

In a stock pot or large pan, cook the bacon until crisp and drain. Reserve 1 T fat. Crumble/coarse chop the bacon.

Cook the onion, leek and garlic in the reserved fat. Stir until softened.

Add the squash, apple, bay leaf, stock and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the squash is very tender. Discard the bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer soup to blender and puree in batches. Transfer pureed soup to a clean saucepan. Adjust seasonings as desired.

Either whisk in 2T of sour cream or ladle soup into bowls and garnish. Add bacon to the top of the soup and serve. Makes about 4 1/2 - 5 cups.

Happy Spring!

I'm back after a few vacations ready to cook, bake, entertain, enjoying the warmth and sunny days of spring. This week's FFWD recipe was a true celebration of spring. It was also a celebration of friends and local foods.

The recipe is Bacon, Eggs and Asparagus Salad. It was so much fun to make. The ingredients are simple and when each is cooked to perfection, the combination is delicious. I'm also including our dessert, Rhubard Custard Tart. More on that later in the post.

The ingredients for our salad had origins with friends...
On our early spring trip to Asheville, NC we spent time with our freinds, Jerry and Nancy. At one of our brunches, we had delicious bacon at The Early Girl Cafe. Jerry mentioned that they have a source for terrific bacon and would send some. About a week ago, we opened the mailbox, and found a box filled with pounds of fantastic bacon. For any bacon officianados out there, it's Benton's Hickory Smoked, from Madisonville, TN. http://bentonscountryhams2.com/ Recently, I started baking the bacon in the oven rather than cooking it on the stove top. Just place a rack over a pan and roast in the oven at 350-400 for about 15-20 minutes. The bacon will stay flat, be crisp, not greasy, and best of all... not make a mess on the stove.

Here's the finished bacon, waiting to top the salad. I wish I could include smells in this blog!

Last night I finished a farmers market and had some croissant and pain au chocolat left over. Our friends who are huge fans of French pastries were home and happily agreed to adopt the soon to be "day old" treats. They offered me asparagus and rhubarb in exchange. We all felt like we got the best of the deal! We walked through their beautiful gardens. My friend sliced off the asparagus, and made fast work of trimming the huge rhubard leaves. I knew just where both would be used!

For the salad, the asparagus is boiled in salt water for just under 5 minutes. I like it a little more tender, so a didn't rush to drain it.

The eggs came from a local vendor. So pretty! In Around My French Table, Dorie walks you through making a perfect soft boiled egg. If you haven't bought the book yet, here's the plug! The techniques are so well described, it takes the fear out of first time tries. Back to the eggs... The white is tender and the yolk oozes gently when the egg is cut through. It was fun peeling the shell off without squishing the egg and breaking the yolk.

OK, these aren't the eggs I used, but the very similar. I used this picture because some of the eggs were green and blue, and I love them! These eggs above were a hostess gift from a gathering we had this winter. How cool to be given a dozen eggs. Aren't they pretty?

For the salad viniagrette, I didn't have any walnut or hazelnut oil, but did find some truffle oil. Oh my! I used mostly olive oil with a dash of truffle oil. To assemble, the eggs, dressing, nuts, and chopped bacon were placed on a bed of greens. It was so springy and delicious! Plus, we knew where all the ingredients came from. Here's the finished salad:

I would highly recommend this recipe as a spring supper or luncheon salad. To finish the meal, I made a rhubarb custard tart. I've never been a huge fan of rhubarb, mostly due to the stringy texture. This recipe calls for diced rhubarb. I cut it into a small dice, and made a French style tart, omitting the top crust. The baking time was the same. I used strawberries as a garnish to add just a little extra sweetness. This was a big hit. Gary and I both really liked it. No strange texture, and a nice sweet and tart taste. Here's the recipe if you'd like to give it a try.

Rhubarb Custard Tart

2 egg yolks
3 T flour
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups fresh rhubarb, cut into 1/4-1/2 inch dice
1 T melted butter

Whisk yolks until thick. Add sugar, whisk until combined and thickened. Add flour, butter, and rhubarb. Pour into unbaked tart or pie crust. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes, then at 350 for 30 minutes. If desired, you could place another crust on top. Be sure to crimp and vent. Garnish with strawberries and/or whipped cream. Enjoy!