Butternut Squash Soup

My mom has been teasing me with Facebook posts about lattes in the jacuzzi, family Scrabble games and home-cooked meals, making me more homesick than ever. So I opted to make myself some home-y delicious food.

Boston Organics clearly had an influx of butternut squash because it's been a recent regular. So I looked up their butternut squash soup recipe and got to work.

I baked the squash first (I did it at 350, since their recipe doesn't specify the temperature), and simultaneously sautéed shallots and onions and garlic powder, before adding vegetable broth and a touch of cream, which the recipe doesn't call for, but some other recipes did. I also used pears, rather than apples.

I'm terrible with recipes. I figure they're more like guidelines that actual rules, so I look at several and get the basic gist of what I need to do. Then I cook.

While I scooped out the squash and blended everything together, I also cooked up some kale and shallots (I didn't have garlic). The kale was beautiful, but a little bitter, so my roommate recommended that I add a vinegar-based hot sauce. I did and it made such a difference.

Delicious, if I do say so myself.

The Green Machine

The best part of any sandwich, in my opinion, are sprouts.

Photo source/healingdream

According to Boston Organic's weekly update, tomorrow's box should include a variety of winter vegetables: more beets, carrots, celeriac (celery root), radishes, lettuce, mixed herbs, potatoes, and shallots.

A lot of root vegetables, given that I chose the "local" box and all the products are sourced from the northeast. I realize that I jumped onto the organic bandwagon a little late in the year, and right now, most of the produce is grown below the ground. So I devised a little recipe—inspired by something I ate once in Bruges, Belgium—that uses my rooty winter goods. It also pairs well with a locally-brewed dark Belgian beer. Just saying...

I call it my green machine sandwich:

• Two slices of organic multi-grain bread ($3-4/loaf at Stop N Shop)
• Jalapeño hummus ($6 for a super big container)
• Lettuce (from Boston Organics!)
• Chives and sprouts (from Boston Organics)
• Tomato slices (tomatoes $3/pound at Copley Square market)
• Goat Cheese (that spreadable swiss cheese works too. $4)
• Roasted beet slices, chilled (from Boston Organics)
• Sliced radishes (from Boston Organics)
• Annie's organic goddess dressing ($4 a bottle)
• Salt and pepper to taste

With the hummus and the cheese, there's more than enough protein and plenty of flavor; the jalapeño hummus has a lot of kick to it. I avoid mayo because it's plenty moist, and I can't stand mayonnaise, but the Goddess dressing is a great replacement for a little extra moistness.

It's also got lots of color, between the beets and radishes and tomatoes, oh my! Serve it on toasted baguette slices as a pretty holiday-colored appetizer for guests. Pair it with the carrots, sliced celeriac and dip (hummus, dressing or cream cheese).

Planning out my produce

Enjoying my new organic pears from
Boston Organics.

I felt like a mother rushing home from work yesterday to pick up my Boston Organics box. But my veggies had to be taken care of before my weekly Tuesday meeting. A girl's got to have priorities...

And it was like Christmas, my produce all wrapped up in my reusable green box. This week's "dogma box" included pears, apples, an acorn squash, sprouts, carrots, chives, collard greens, gold beets, Napa cabbage, red leaf lettuce and lots of potatoes.

I dropped a pear while cleaning the goods and loading up the fridge, so I had to eat it. And I followed it with a carrot dipped in hummus. Thus far, I've thoroughly enjoyed everything. It's the stuff that needs to be cooked--the squash and the beets, especially--that I'm struggling with the most.

So I checked out Boston Organics' recipes page. There's a recipe on there for baby greens with roasted beets and potatoes, which should utilize the red leaf lettuce, potatoes and beets. Then there's another on Allrecipes.com for stuffed acorn squash halves.

For the acorn squash recipe, I'm thinking I'll nix the brown sugar; I'm not a big fan of the sweet and savory combo. And I'll use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth (I've been pretty good about being vegetarian). But here's hoping that it turns out well. Dinner, anyone?

One of the things I thought I would struggle most with is being sure to use all my produce. But I think the best bet is to plan ahead. I note what veggies I have, then I research recipes and storage tips and take note of what I need to get the next time I go grocery shopping (like bread stuffing). Produce delivery in no way absolves my need to grocery shop, but it helps me save money and forces me to be adventurous, try new foods and plan my meals.

And when all else fails, I can always pawn them off on my roommates, neighbors and friends.