Originally appeared in Kallah Magazine, Fall 2005

If someone told you that they had figured out an easy way to keep their cooking fresh and exciting, to keep ingredient costs low and to maximize getting the best taste out of their food, wouldn’t you want to be “in on the secret?”

It’s no mystery that the best cooks have long sung the praises of “cooking seasonally.” My students certainly know how ardently I encourage being in tune with what produce is in season.  But does it really matter in an era of the “global market,” where the local supermarket offers the same worldwide produce all year-round, enabling one to always make his or her standard recipes?  Most home cooks take comfort in the constant availability of everything and anything they might need in the produce department despite the time of year.  However,  “the downside of the culture of infinite year-round choice is a kind of options paralysis,” writes Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, author of The River Cottage Year.  “There's so much on offer that you don't know where to start. Understanding the seasons brings a sense of structure, rhythm and rightness to your shopping and cooking.” By incorporating the produce that is grown locally and in the height of its season, you will keep your menu interesting because you won’t be making the same dishes day in and day out.  What’s more, your food will taste better because the produce will be fresher and in its prime…and probably on sale at the market to boot!  

How wonderful is the first arrival of sweet succulent strawberries after a long, dark winter, making their debut in fresh strawberry soup or strawberry rhubarb pie?  Is there anything more satisfying in the hot summer than plum cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream or a nice bowl of fresh corn chowder in August?  Perhaps only the warm and aromatic flavors of autumn that are upon us.  Celebrate these cool, windy nights with cranberry bread or stuffed baked apples.  Here’s a great recipe that incorporates butternut squash, a fall favorite.   Make this soup meat, dairy, or pareve – it’s your choice.  Either way it is delicious!

Cream of Butternut Squash Soup

(Dairy, Meat, or Pareve)

2 tbsp. butter or margarine

1 large onion, chopped

2 carrots, peeled & sliced

1 large sweet potato, cut into chunks

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 butternut squash - peeled, seeded & cut into chunks

1 tsp. salt

5 Cups chicken stock (low-sodium) or water

1 tbsp. fresh ginger, minced

½ tsp. thyme

1-2 tbsp. honey

salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

¾-1 cup milk or soymilk/non-dairy creamer

Optional garnishes: Top with fresh chopped parsley, and/or a dollop of sour cream (if making soup dairy). 

Melt butter or margarine in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add onion and salt, sautéing until translucent, for about 5 minutes.  Add carrots, sweet potato, celery, and butternut squash.  Sauté another 5 minutes until slightly tender.  Add ginger and stock/water.  Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer.  Cook covered for approximately 30 minutes or until everything is tender.   Puree soup in batches in blender or food processor (or use an immersion blender to puree in the pot).  Return pureed soup to the pot and add honey and thyme over low heat.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Whisk in milk/soymilk and heat gently (but do not bring to a boil).   Add additional water or milk if soup is too thick and once again adjust seasonings to taste.  Serve hot, topped with chopped parsley and/or a dollop of sour cream. 

Yields: 6-8 servings    

Naomi Ross teaches Cooking Concepts, courses on the fundamentals of cooking & Jewish homemaking.  For more information, visit her website at www.jewishcookingconcepts.com.  Naomi can be reached at .