Help, I’m Drowning In Summer Squash (AKA, here’s a great Curried Squash Soup Recipe!)

  I was desperately looking through recipes trying to find something to do with all of this extra squash I suddenly have on hand. Normally, I have tons of zucchini and have found ways to use it up BUT for some reason none of my zucchini plants were happy this year. May have something to do with being on bed rest, ya think?

No luck on something sounding like a recipe my overly finicky tastebuds would like right about now. Yellow squash is, well, slimy if not handled correctly. Most of the recipes seemed like they just encouraged that in the final dish.

Unlike most normal people, I actually enjoy a nice soup when the weather is hot. Simple to prepare, light and not too heavy on the calories. An added plus is finding yet another way to get more vegetables into my diet. So I looked at some ideas from other peoples recipes and decided to use a trick I learned when I came up with my cream of asparagus soup- add potato for richness and to balance out the slippery mouth feel that pureed squash is known for.

I liked the idea of adding curry and ginger to give the soup an oriental twist. Sure enough, the recipe works for me. You may feel the need to adjust the amount of curry, even adding more chicken broth if you feel the need- go ahead, it’s your soup after all!

Curried Yellow Squash & Potato Soup

• 1 onion, minced
• 1 potato, diced
• 2 medium yellow squash, diced
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp Fresh Ginger, minced
• 1 clove Garlic, minced
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 Tbsp Curry Paste or Powder (add more to taste)
• 4 cups chicken stock
• ½ tsp salt (or to taste)
• 1 Tbsp Fresh parsley, finely minced

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and sauté the onion, potato and the squash until golden brown, about 10 minutes over medium heat.
2. Add the ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes and continue cooking for a couple more minutes to allow the fragrance of the ginger and garlic to come out.
3. Add the curry and stir in well. Now add in the stock and salt to taste. You may want to add a little more curry depending on how it tastes to you.
   Allow the soup to cool and using a stick blender, puree (or just pour into a regular blender if that’s what you have)
4. Reheat and place the soup into 2 soup bowls and sprinkle with the fresh parsley.

Serve with fresh, crusty rolls or flour tortillas that have been grilled  over high heat until brown spots appear.

Related articles

• Soups For The Summertime (jovinacooksitalian.com)
• Summer Squash Fritters from Aggie’s Kitchen (blogher.com)

Goat Ranch Summer Carrots in Garlic Vinegar Marinade

 

OK- Fancy name for pickled carrots, but this version is fresh and soooo good they won’t last long in your fridge at all!

We grow our own carrots, garlic, italian seasonings and bay leaves here on the ranch and don’t use any chemicals or other nasty stuff, only healthy food!

Be sure to make these at least the day before so they have plenty of time to develop flavor.

Recipe:

•1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into sticks about 3-4 inches long
•1 1/4 cups water
•1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
•1 cup cider vinegar
•1/4 cup sugar
•2 garlic cloves, cut into quarters
•1/2 teaspoon cumin seed
•1 teaspoon italian seasoning
•2 bay leaves

Bring a medium-sized pot of lightly-salted water to a boil.

When the water boils, drop the carrots in and simmer for one minute. Strain the mixture into a colander and rinse under cold water. Drain thoroughly.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining ingredients in the pot. Once it begins to boil, reduce the heat and simmer for two minutes.

Remove the liquids from the heat, add the carrot sticks.

Cool the carrots until room temperature, then put them into canning jars and secure the lids tightly.

Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.

Related articles

• Moroccan Spicy Carrots (foodofthemediterranean.wordpress.com)
• Grilled Balsamic Rosemary Carrots (igoyougoblog.com)

No Flu Soup! Great idea if you’re under the weather- and tastes so good on a cold day

Image by Ewan McIntosh via Flickr

Thyme, onions, garlic and ginger are all supposed to have anti bacterial properties and have been used for centuries to bolster the family immune system during winter. If you sprinkle a layer of cheese on top before serving it can become a special version of French Onion Soup. At the very least it should help keep the vampires away!

No Flu Soup (Serves 4):

2 tbsp olive oil
6 medium-sized onions, sliced thin
1 Tablespoon Clerici Ranch Fresh Thyme, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 inch piece fresh ginger, minced
6 cups chicken broth made from bones of Clerici Ranch chickens
Salt and pepper to taste
Dash of hot sauce if desired
White cheese such as gruyere if desired

Thick slices of toasted bread to serve

Heat the olive oil in a stock pot and saute the onions slowly until lightly browned.
Add in the thyme, garlic and ginger and stir for a few minutes to release their aromas.
Add the broth and salt and pepper then splash in some hot sauce if desired.
Simmer for about 20 minutes stirring occasionally.

Place a slice of toasted bread in the bottom of your soup bowl, cover with soup.
Top with some of your favorite cheese if you like to round out the meal and enjoy!

Related Articles

• Chicken soup (independent.co.uk)
• French Onion Soup with Authentic French Baquette (leberpr.com)
• Italian Tomato Soup (notecook.com)