Curried Winter Squash Soup

I have been making soup every week since cold weather set in. Any time we have leftover bones or carcasses, I begin a soup stock that sometimes takes two days to make; it's rich and savory and serves as the basis for a variety of soup recipes.

Homemade stock - apparently it's more stylishly called bone broth at the moment - is essential for casseroles and many vegetable dishes, as well as soup. When you focus on fresh or from-scratch foods, prepared sauces and soups begin to taste horrible in fairly short order.

Sampling stock in progress is a perk; I use about a half dozen spoons in the process. I throw vegetable scraps and leftovers into soup, so I've had some interesting combinations this winter. Cauliflower-corn-red pepper soup was probably my favorite.

But oh, this soup, this sweet Curried Winter Squash Soup, a gift from a bread-making friend, was probably one of the best soups I've ever tasted and although I haven't made it myself yet, I know she's OK with sharing the recipe. A farm market vendor, she posted it on our market's Facebook page.

Curried Winter Squash Soup

• 2 pounds winter squash
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1½ cup chopped onion
• ½ cup celery
• 1 or 2 sweet apples peeled, cored and diced
• salt and fresh-bourn pepper to taste
• 1 Tablespoon curry powder, or to taste
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup unsweetened apple cider
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup buttermilk (or ¾ cup milk and ¼ cup sour cream)
• 1 Tablespoon finely minced ginger root, divided
• Fresh grated nutmeg

Bake squash in 375-degree oven until tender. Set aside until it's cool enough to handle.

Melt the butter and brown onions and celery until tender and clear. Add apples, broth, cider, bay leaf and curry. Bring mixture to a boil, reducing heat and simmering for 20 minutes. Add squash.

Use a blender to purée mixture, about one cup at a time. Add the ginger gradually. 

Stir in milk and heat the soup again, but do not boil it. Adjust seasonings such as salt and pepper and garnish with fresh-grated nutmeg.

I'd serve this with a ham sandwich and coleslaw. 

Thanks to Brenda of Bay Bakers for allowing me to showcase her recipe.