Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Sage Croutons

Since Spring just can't decide if it's time to arrive in this part of the world or not, I've taken advantage of the wet, cold, totally-un-spring-y weather, and have been making soup. Lots of warm soup. You'd think it was winter or something.

Anyhow, this soup is my favorite butternut squash soup I've tried. I've made variations - some with apples, others with mascarpone cheese, and a few with curry. But this simple version I'm sharing today brings out the flavor of the butternut just perfectly so that it is the star. No distractions here - just sweet, earthy squash - accentuated by a touch of sage and a little garlic. Sage is a natural companion to butternut squash, to which pairing I am partial. It's one of my favorite fall flavor combinations. (Ahem... fall? I know, it's May, right?)

So if your neck of the woods is experiencing a delightful sun-shiny springtime, maybe bookmark this soup for use in a few months, and be looking forward to it!

Notes: I made just a few changes to the recipe - adding a little more garlic and adjusting the roasting method a little. The sage croutons are wonderful, by the way. They add a pleasant crunch. If you are running short on time, you can leave them off, but just plan to make them the next time around - you'll be glad you did.

Adapted from Cooking After Five

Oat Soda Bread

Do you ever crave fresh homemade bread but don't have the time or patience to wait a few hours for yeast to work its magic? I certainly do. And lucky us, I have the solution to our little predicament right here. It's called soda bread. Have you heard of it? Soda bread isn't made with soda - as in soda pop - no, soda bread is made with baking soda as the leavener, and when combined with buttermilk, wonderful things happen, like bread rises.

Soda bread is known for its very short ingredient list, usually going something a little like this: flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk. Sometimes people like to add raisins or nuts to their soda bread, but I like to keep mine pretty simple. Here is a wonderful version of soda bread made with oats, which provide just a touch of sweetness and texture.

Delicious, warm, hearty homemade bread in less than an hour? Yep. I speak the truth. Serve this bread warm with a slather of salted butter, or alongside a steaming bowl of soup, even toasted with a shmear of peanut butter... you can imagine the possibilities. I told you I had the solution to our little predicament. And a pretty darn good solution it is, might I say.

Notes: This recipe calls for oat flour. If you are more likely to have some rolled oats on hand, I've included below the recipe how to make your own oat flour with rolled oats. If you already have oat flour in your pantry, go ahead and use it! Also, if you would like, you can use a full 2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour, instead of the whole-wheat pastry and all-purpose combo.

Adapted from 101 cookbooks

Quiche Lorraine

My dad is quite the cheese, bread, and pastry connoisseur. Living in southern Belgium and northern France for a couple of years can do that kind of thing to you, especially when you're a young guy spending your days on feet in the towns and cities. I wonder how many stops in the abundant patisseries and chocolate shops he took. (What a life!) Anyway, a few years ago, he took one of my sisters and me on a 2-week vacation to Europe. We visited France and Belgium during our stay and also took a detour through Holland, where our ancestors are from. If asked to choose my favorite place we visited during our trip, I wouldn't be able to. There are aspects about each country that I fell completely in love with. The windmills of Holland are incomparable, while Belgium boasts world-class frites. France, of course, with the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, is simply top-notch.

While staying in Paris, the three of us would grab a quick bite every morning at a little patisserie just around the corner from our hotel. This cute shop had it all: all kinds of baguettes, eclairs, tarts, mille feuilles, macarons, croissants, gateaus, and quiche. Oh, the quiche! I would order a quiche lorraine every morning and enjoy it on the park bench outside. The quiche at this little patisserie were perfect - a lovely buttery and flaky crust encompassed a rich, smooth custard that had just the right amount of bacon and onion. If only I could start every day just that way - sitting on a park bench in France with a quiche in hand.

Until I make it back to that French patisserie, I will have to do with my own version of quiche lorraine. Wait, did I just say "have to do"? Actually, I don't think this quiche merely "has to do" in place of an authentic French one, because it is wonderful, if I do say so myself. While enjoying our dinner the other night, I asked everyone's opinions of the quiche. In the words of my dad, "This is just as good as any I've had in Europe - if not better!" And then he helped himself to another slice.

It is so good.

Notes: Yes, the recipe is long. Yes, it takes time and a bit of planning ahead. Yes, it is worth it. Start the crust just after lunch and you should be prepared. Read the recipe through all the way before beginning, too, as is always wise. I made this recipe exactly as it was originally written, with exclusively all-purpose flour. I think I'll try it again using half whole-wheat pastry flour; I expect that it would work quite well. The authors note that to prevent the crust from sagging during the blind baking step, you need to make sure that it overhangs the pan's edge and use plenty of pie weights - about 3 to 4 cups. Also, it is important to note that this is a deep dish quiche, which is more authentic to the region from which it hails (France!). This recipe has been created for a 2-inch-deep cake pan to accommodate all of the filling - be sure to use the correct pan! I think you could easily use a 9-inch spring-form pan, too, because they tend to be at least 2-inches deep.

Adapted from Cook's Illustrated, July & Aug. 2010

Garlic-Potato Soup

I realize it is now the month of May and soup season has pretty much left us, but I just have to share this recipe. And anyways, the weatherman says that a storm will roll through our area this weekend, so that is my other excuse for talking about soup on this lovely, sunny, and 73-degree spring day.

This potato soup is similar to the typical kinds of potato soup: chunky, thick, and satisfying. BUT it is different because it is the best potato soup in the world (I know! Isn't that great!) and it is so very flavorful, thanks to the gracious amount of tasty garlic in it. It even has garlic chips! (Read on, they're fab...) If you haven't noticed, I have a thing for garlic. We're pretty much BFF, you know.

Notes: I slightly upped the salt in my version because I felt the soup needed just a little more kick to pronounce the flavors more clearly. The original calls for 3/4 teaspoon, but taste as you go and adjust to your personal preferences. I also used water instead of chicken broth, and either will work great. Lastly, if leeks are not available, you can substitute and equal amount of yellow onion.

Adapted from Cook's Illustrated, March & April 2007

Coconut Cake with Chocolate Chunks & Coconut Drizzle

I was a Girl Scout back in the day. You know, the signature green and brown vests with badges, camping trips, service projects, plenty of silly songs, crafts, and games... (the last three being essential life-saving skills, mind you). Wait, I'm forgetting something, you say? Oh yes. That's right. Girl Scout cookies. Silly me, to forget. I don't know how many boxes of cookies I sold during my scouting days, but it was a lot. I remember the Thin Mint cookies were always the most popular. My personal favorites were the Samoa cookies, though. Chewy, chocolaty, and nutty from the toasted coconut. A glass of milk was a must with these little treats - dunking was certainly necessary. Selling boxes upon boxes of the various signature cookies was always an exciting part of being a Girl Scout.

I was immediately reminded of Girl Scout Samoas when taking my first bite of this cake. Although there is no caramel in it, as there is in the cookies, this cake is very moist and has a perfectly subtle coconut flavor. The chocolate chunks are rich and the coconut on top is crunchy and barely sweet. The cake is best served with a tall glass of milk. (Though dunking is not necessarily suggested...)

Notes: I have made this cake several times, playing around with different ratios of flour types, and have found the following combination of whole-wheat pastry and all-purpose flours to provide the most appealing crumb. You may certainly use exclusively all-purpose, if you wish. Also, I love this cake best when made with coconut oil because it lends an extra kick of creamy coconut flavor. If you don't have coconut oil on hand, butter also makes a rich and delicious cake. Coconut milk is sold in cans, typically near the Asian foods at the grocery. Be sure to not use "light" coconut milk - it is too watery for the cake. You can play around a little with the flavorings for fun, if you'd like. I think next time I make this I'm going to try it by leaving out the orange zest, and instead of vanilla, use almond extract. Have fun and enjoy!

Adapted from Bon Appetit, also found here