Hello Autumn
Good Food
Isn’t fall grand? I’m so excited for all of the new produce that’s available this time of year. So sad, though, that winter is on its way. (Also sad is that Denison isn’t putting any of their awesome garlic in our CSA shares, what the hell is that about?) This weather has me making soups. I should probably start freezing them. I made my broth-based butternut corn chowder on Saturday and a potato, leek cheddar & beer soup on Sunday. I roasted a chicken last night and am getting a box of new veggies tonight so will probably make a chicken soup of some kind tonight. What I really need to do is take the time one of these days to make Julia Child’s French bread recipe. Or, even easier, pick up a loaf from the Placid Baker or Our Daily Bread at Saturday’s market. Yum yum yum.
Butternut Corn Chowder
Good Wine
I should change the name of my blog in October from Good Wine to Good Beer. Maybe it’s some of that German blood, but I love beer when the leaves start to change. I bought a ridiculous number of pumpkin beers from Oliver’s last week. Sadly, none have been all that great but I still have another half dozen to get through.
In Good Wine news, I have fallen in love with the little wine shop in the Hannaford plaza parking lot on Wolf Road. They have a really nice selection and a variety of price ranges. I’ve found some great bottles in there. The shopkeepers are really helpful too.
Good Dog
It’s October, forget about your pink plastic crap and ribbons made in China* – it’s Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog month! If you hadn’t noticed, I love my dogs. I am so grateful to Homeward Bound. They rescue dogs from high kill shelters in the south and the dogs live in foster homes until they’re adopted. Their dogs are fully vetted, spayed or neutered and are showered with love, training and affection until they are adopted. Homeward Bound is just one of the many great rescue organizations in the Capital District, but HB will always be near and dear to my heart for giving me my two amazing companions. They have all kinds of dogs from small to big and purebred to crazy mixes (like my very own Kentucky Special, Agent Cooper). Mixed breeds are awesome – Agent Cooper has a stomach of steel and will probably live to 25 if his curiosity doesn’t kill him first. Not only that, but that boy stopped someone from robbing my neighbor’s house a few months ago. He’s a hero and he’s all mine. Check out Homeward Bound’s Facebook page to see their current dogs available for adoption.
Princess Snores-a-lot
Agent Nibbler
*Cancer is an epidemic but we’re all “aware” of it and football players wearing pink shoes aren’t going to change a goddamn thing. We all hate cancer; ribbons and bracelets aren’t doing anything to help. Want to help? Find a good charity that actually funds research and write them a check so that 100% of your money goes to the cause rather than the 1-5% that your purchase of useless pink and yellow crap is providing while someone else is raking in profits in the name of cancer “awareness”. Maybe I should have put this under a “good whine” heading.
pumpkin beers–have you tried sam adam’s fat jack? i found it to be my favorite (very full bodied) and next in line for me is southerntier…which is shocking that dogfish didn’t make the top 3 for me.
I haven’t seen Fat Jack, I’ll have to look for it. I have a nice big bottle of Southern Tier’s Pumpking yet to try. Someone told me it wasn’t as good as 2011′s batch (it was my favorite last year), but I’ll be trying it this weekend.
Gonna need that butternut squash corn chowda recipe if you would be so kind as to share?
Val’s Butternut Corn Chowder
1 large or 2 small butternut squashes
3-4 TBSP Butter
3 large carrots, sliced or diced
1 TBSP curry powder
1 TBSP garam masala
10 cups low sodium chicken broth
Bag of frozen corn
Cut a butternut squash in half, seed it and roast it for about 40-45 minutes at 350. It should still be a little firm around the skin and softer towards the cut side, so not totally cooked. Remove the skin and cube the squash.
In a stock pot melt 3-4 TBSP of butter and add carrots, curry powder and garam masala (maybe a little more of each, I didn’t really measure). Cook it all down for about 5-7 minutes until the carrots are tender and start to caramelize (careful not to burn).
Add chicken broth, squash and the frozen corn. Bring it to a boil then reduce it to a
simmer for 15 minutes for the flavors to meld. Add salt to taste.
I also crisped some bacon on the side and crumbled it on top of the soup.
thank you!!! I currently have 2 small squash so maybe I will try it sooner than later.
It’s SO easy and the combination of the curry powder and garam masala give a ton of flavor (without it being overly spicy). It’s all about cooking down the carrots with the spices.
Troy Discount Beverage on Hoosick Street has it.
I’m making this right now! using your recipe right from here since I lost the printout!
Awesome! Let me know how it turns out!
We’ll see. It’s almost finished. The guy is coming TOMORROW to start on my kitchen (yaaaaaaay!) and I wanted to get this done beforehand so it’s a bit of a rush since I also have to frigging finish cleaning this place out. AND take the dog to therapy at 6. So I realized as the squash was baking that I needed 10 cups of chicken broth and I only had 4. So I think oh I’ll make a quick run to Trader Joe’s WRONG…I forgot about the Idle Rich and there was no parking so I stopped in an italian market/catering place and picked up 2 more boxes. Only it was stock, not broth. And I used those first not realizing. Is that the same thing?? I have no idea. I also only put in 1 tsp of the spices. Just because I don’t know them and don’
t want to go too crazy. Esp. since I’d like to give my mom some. and she is Blandy McBlandersons. Is the squash supposed to dissolve into the broth or stay in chunks?
Stock or broth, doesn’t matter. I use the jar of Better than Bouillon, but you can use whatever.
The squash will do a little of both since I don’t bake it long enough for it to get tender throughout. I’ve overcooked it before where it’s turned to mush. Either way it still tastes good.
I like the extra spice and it really “blooms” when you cook it with the sauteing carrots. Let me know how it turns out with less. You can always add salt at the end to perk it up.
Well one and a half of the chicken broth/stocks were regular, one was unsalted. so I’m hoping it will work out. Will it thicken up?
You can mash some of the chunks of squash to thicken it, but it’s generally a brothier soup.
lol I’ve been mashing them! Okay as long as it’s supposed to be brothy then I guess I’m good. at least in consistency!
well I had a small bowl last night and I thought it was pretty damn good! We’ll see how it is the second day. Yours looks like it has a lot more stuff in it. Oh and with just the 1 tsp instead of T of the spices I thought it was plenty. LOL the curry turned this old off-white plastic spoon bright yellow. It looks better now, maybe I’ll dip the handle in the curry to get it all even.