butternut squash preparation?

[ratcreature]

I have bought a butternut squash for the first time (pumpkins and squashes just aren't that popular here, so you don't usually get them offered in a great variety, but I saw some offered today), and since I have never had butternut squash before, I have no idea how to prepare it to best bring out its flavor so I can decide whether I like it or not. So do any of you regular squash eaters from overseas (or anyone else really) have any suggestions for me?

Also, I just got through my regular eye checkup this morning, and am very happy even though right now my sight is still blurry, because my retinas remain both unchanged from last time, and the checkup interval got even lengthened back to a year from the previous six months. *does the snoopy dance of fewer retina examinations*

Comments

[marag.livejournal.com]

My favorite way to eat butternut squash is actually in soup. If you're interested, I think I have my recipe already typed up on the computer somewhere and I could post it here. The soup freezes very well.

My MIL usually cuts it in half, sprays oil on the halves, and then bakes them cut side down in the oven on a moderately high temperature until the insides are soft. Then you scoop out the insides and mix them with whatever tickles your fancy.

Some people go sweet and add a little honey or cinnamon or whatever, but I prefer the savoury, so I usually add salt and pepper.

[cereta.livejournal.com]

I'd love to see the soup recipe ;).

[marag.livejournal.com]

Obviously, when I make the soup, it's with veggie broth, because of the milk and butter, but I hereby present the recipe as I found it in some magazine years ago. Also, I puree the entire pot using my hand mixer, rather than pureeing it in batches in a blender. ::shrug:: Both work.

I recommend serving it with a dollop of sour cream. Mmmm.

Curried Pumpkin Soup

1 cup chopped onion
3 minced garlic cloves
5 tbs unsalted butter
1 tbs curry powder
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
4 to 5 pound pumpkin or winter squash, peeled and seeded and chopped (5-8 cups)
1/2 cup dried green or red lentils, picked over and rinsed
1 1/2 cups milk

In a pot cook the onion and garlic in butter over moderately low heat until they are soft and stir in curry powder, broth, pumpkin, and lentils. Bring the liquid to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20-25 minutes, or until pumpkin is tender.

Puree the pumpkin mixture in batches and force it through a sieve into the pot. Stir in milk and bring the soup to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper.

(Sorry if you get this multiple times. LJ is being funky.)

[ratcreature]

Thanks for the recipe, that looks similar to something I sometimes do to hokkaido pumpkin.

[ratcreature]

Is the soup mainly from the squash? I'm basically looking for a recipe where the taste of the squash isn't buried among a lot of other stuff, like for example I've seen recipes elsewhere putting it in some ratatouille thing with lots of other vegetables, but that's not what I'm looking for, since I want to see what the squash tastes like on its own. The baking sounds like a possibility though.

[marag.livejournal.com]

It's very much a squash soup, but baking it is very nice too, and much easier. I recommend baking it, tasting it and then deciding how you want to season it.