Hubbard Squash and Quince Soup

THE ROOT The possibilities of uses for winter squash are somewhat staggering. Add to that their interchangeability and they start looking like the poster child for seasonal eatin. You can bake them into a cake, muffins, ...

THE ROOT The possibilities of uses for winter squash are somewhat
staggering. Add to that their interchangeability and they start
looking like the poster child for seasonal eatin. You can bake them
into a cake, muffins, pancakes. You can cook them into risotto,
soup, purees. You can even toast their seeds with olive oil and
salt for a nutritional and tasty snack...if you coat them with
bittersweet chocolate, well, a little less nutritional---but still
better for you than a lot of junk food on the market. Or you can
just roast the squash simply with butter, maple syrup, salt and
pepper. Hubbard squash reaches notorious sizes. Often you find
them sold in wedges at markets. But if you are as lucky as I am,
maybe one of your friends will bestow upon you a 50 pound squash
that tests your culinary aptitude and pushes you to your creative
limits! Hubbard, acorn, delicata, pumpkin, butternut, (I know Im
leaving some out)...any of these orange winter squash can be used
for the following recipe. Its simple, creamy-rific and employs the
best of this seasons ingredients.

THE RECIPE

Hubbard Squash
Quince* Soup
serving size 6 to 8
prep time 45 minutes
cook
time 45 minutes

6 cups, or 3 pounds roasted Hubbard squash**
2
cups, or 1 pound cooked quince***, about 4 large quince before
cooking (If you dont have access to quince, simply increase amount
of squash by 2 cups)
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and coarsely
chopped
2 cloves of garlic
4 cups simmering chicken stock, (or
vegetable stock)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy
cream
1 tablespoon honey
fresh sage leaves, about 10
kosher
salt
fresh ground pepper
extra virgin olive oil
creme
fraiche

*Quince (Cydonia oblonga) is a frost hardy fruit of the
rose family. Related to apples and pears, its flavor is similar
those fruits, while possessing a delicate floral flavor too. Its
wonderful cooked down with a bit of honey and water, and ideal for
jam and marmalade due to its high amount of pectin.

**Cut Hubbard
squash into manageable roasting slices, no more than an inch thick.
Cover slices with extra virgin olive oil and roast in a 400 degree
oven until tender, about 40 minutes. Slice off rind cut into
cubes.

***Simply pare quince and cut off bite-sized pieces.
Simmer in a little water, until tender, about 30 minutes. Cut
quince or substitute with apple if desired.

Cover the bottom of
a large saucepan or medium stock pot with olive oil and set on
medium heat. When a piece of onion sizzles in the oil, add all
chopped onion and garlic. Feel free to add more olive oil to
prevent onions and garlic from sticking to pan. Season with dash or
two of salt. Saute and allow the onions to sweat out their
moisture, stirring frequently, until tender. Add honey and 3 leaves
of sage finely chopped. Saute for a minute or two more then add
squash and quince, stirring to incorporate all ingredients.

Add
stock a cup at a time, until squash and quince mixture is covered.
Reserve extra stock. Allow mixture to simmer for about 30 minutes,
adding any remaining stock if necessary or a thinner soup is
desired. Ingredients should all be very tender and ready for
blending. Remove from heat. Cool mixture for about 10
minutes.

Puree mixture in blender. Remove center plug of
blender lid to allow steam to escape during blending. Make sure to
keep blender opening covered with a kitchen towel to protect your
face and hands. Add soup by ladleful and do not over pack the
blender. Puree in several small batches, removing each batch to a
medium saucepan.

In medium saucepan over medium heat, bring
puree, cream and 1 tablespoon of butter to a gentle boil, seasoning
with more