Seasonal Obsession – Butternut Squash

I love the butternut squash.  It is one of my favorite ingredients ever.  I love the beautiful orange center and its smooth, pale-orange skin.  I love its graceful, hourglass shape and the ease of preparation.  Most of all I love the silky texture and rich flavor of this abundant fall fruit. According to Scott Cunningham, squashes will “increase awareness of the nonphysical reality” that surrounds us, making this an ideal food for Witches and other folk who like to work with the subtle energies of the world. ¹

Butternut can be made savory or sweet and is widely available this time of year. If you live in a temperate clime, look for local options at Farmer’s Markets or CSA’s. Each year I eagerly await the ripening of the winter squashes just so I can make the following soup. I prefer my soup to be a little sweet, which is why I season it with nutmeg and cinnamon; but you can make a savory version by supplementing different herbs and spices. Enjoy this creamy soup with a chunk of peasant bread. It’s the perfect comfort food for chilly days and cold nights.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 large butternut squash
• 2 medium carrots
• 1 large sweet onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Olive oil
• 4 c fat-free vegetable broth
• 1/3 cup unsweetened soy milk
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp fresh nutmeg
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Remove the skin of the squash with a vegetable peeler.  Cut the squash in half to remove the seeds.  Cut the squash into 1-inch chunks.
2. Peel the carrot, the onion, and garlic.  Cut the carrot and onion into 1-inch chunks.
3. Put all the veggies in a large bowl.  Add a few tablespoons of olive oil.  Add salt and pepper and toss to coat.
4. Pour the veggies out into a large baking dish.  Bake in a 400ºF oven for 30 minutes or until the veggies are fork tender.
5. Finish the veggies under the broiler for 5 – 10 minutes to add color and caramelization.  Believe me, the browned bits of onion add so much flavor when the soup is done.
6. Remove the veggies from the oven and allow them to cool a bit.  Have your blender ready.
7. Begin blending the veggies with the vegetable broth in small batches; making sure each batch is well blended.  Blend this soup longer than you would think.  The longer blending removes the graining texture and delivers a superior flavor.
8. Pour the blended mixture into a large pot over medium heat.  Add the soy milk and stir well.
9. Add the cinnamon and the nutmeg.  And please, please, please, don’t rob yourself of genuine flavor by using pre-ground nutmeg. Buy the nutmeg whole and grind what you need for each recipe.  Your taste buds will thank you.
10. Continue to stir until the entire mixture is heated through.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Enjoy!

^1. Cunningham, Scott. (1990). Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen.  Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Publications.

Advertisement

Seasonal Obsession – “Wild” Apples

Fall is the absolute best season for eating (in my opinion).  The culinary bounty is endless.  From onions to squash and from nuts to fruits, Fall has something scrumptious to offer at every turn.  With all these delights it’s hard to narrow down one seasonal obsession.  Fortunately a little trip to Newton Hill helped me out.

I needed to get away from the overwhelming obligations of my job and the noise of my neighbors so I took a hike up Newton Hill.  At the top of the hill, I was bombarded with the full effects of Fall.  Fall always comes to the Hill quicker than the surrounding city below.  Butter-and-eggs had painted a patch of the hill yellow with their uniquely shaped blossoms.  Oak trees bombarded the ground with acorns and the maples sported brilliant red leaves.  What truly delighted me that day, however, was the discovery of three apple trees!

Most people I know won’t eat a “wild” apple, believing crab apples to be poisonous.  The truth is there is no such thing as a “wild” apple in America.  Apple trees are not native to the Americas so all apple trees you’ll find, rather domesticated or crabby, are edible.  Some crab apples are sour and you may not want to eat them, but they won’t do you any harm.  When picking “wild” apples just remember to only pick fruit that is ripe and worm free.  You don’t want to pick something that looks diseased.  Also, only eat the fruit picked from the tree.  Leave any fruit on the ground for the critters.

I filled my backpack with “wild” apples that day and hurried home to make one of my favorite Fall treats – applesauce.  The following recipe is exceedingly simple, as I created it for cooking with children.  Despite its simplicity (or maybe because of it) this recipe is one of my favorites and I will only use it in the fall when the apples are fresh and local.  Enjoy this Fall treat warm or chilled.  Happy Harvest!

Homemade Applesauce

Ingredients

• 8 large apples
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

1. Peel, core, and slice the apples.
2. Cut the apple slices into small chunks.
3. Put the apples in the pan along with 1/2 cup of water.
4. Simmer for 15 minutes, occasionally stirring with your spoon. Add more water if apples begin to dry out.
5. Stir in 1/2 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.
6. Once the apples are fork tender, transfer to a blender.  Blend until smooth.
7. Wait until the applesauce cools, and you can eat this warm. Or refrigerate and eat it when it’s cold.
8. Enjoy!

Serves 12

The Magic of Fall Festivals

I love Autumn.  There is no season like it.  The air is crisp, the colors intoxicating, and the seasonal selection of food unbeatable.  I don’t know a single human being who is not enamored with fall.  There are many ways to enjoy this season of bounty and beauty, but one of my favorites is to take advantage of the numerous fall festivals that appear all across the country, in small towns and cities alike.

Fall festivals have transformative powers.  Even in the city, Autumn reminds us of the pleasures of country living and of simpler times.  Like the Yule season, Autumn demands colorful celebration, which changes stoic and crowded city streets into brightly bedecked havens of harvest hospitality.  Most fall festivals contain some hint of the harvest theme and often will include stalls dedicated to local farmers and artisans. I love prowling the stalls for seasonal flavors I have not tried or old favorites presented in a new way.   This year I tried garlic ice cream for the first time.

For many Pagans Summer is the festival season, but I prefer the festivals of fall.  I begin taking advantage of the fall festival scene in September with the many celebrations of Pagan Pride Month.  This year I attended the Pagan Pride celebration hosted by the Eastern Massachusetts Pagan Pride Project in North Andover, MA.   It was the best PPD I’ve ever attended.  The location at Harold Parker State Forest was cozy, pretty, and comfortably close to nature.  The vendors were good, the workshops amazing (I attended a great herb walk with Susun Weed), and the music was kickin’.  Even now I look forward to celebrating PPD with the Pagani of Eastern Mass. next year.

Come October the fall festival season really heats up.  With the harvest flowing in like the tide and Halloween just around the corner, there is no end to the celebrations.  However, there is one celebration that I take advantage of each year, the Renaissance Festival.  Renaissance festivals are magical and exciting places with obvious Pagan undertones (for more about this check out the Autumn issue of Witches & Pagans). Renaissance festivals, like Halloween, are an excuse to let our inner witchlings out to play.  My inner witchling likes to attend ren fests in breezy black dresses and a red velvet cloak.  I get a kick out of eating smoked turkey legs and watching the daring and sometime ridiculous performances.  But I can’t lie; I mostly attend ren fests for the shopping.  Vendor stalls at renaissance festivals are a smorgasbord of Pagan delights.  Any decent ren fest will have at least one good herb and oil dealer, several incense shops, numerous clothing shops with fantastic options for ritual garb, and many shops selling statues, trinkets, and jewelry of a witchy or Pagan nature.   My coven sister, AutumnMoon, and I go shopping for ritual effects every year.

No fall festival season is complete without celebration Halloween and the mother of all Halloween parties takes place in Salem, MA.  Each year my coven, Cat’s Claw, visits Salem, MA for the fun, history, and yes the shopping unique to the Witch City.  Although there are endless tourist trap distractions to amuse, I prefer to take in the more historical attractions.  My favorite is the House of Seven Gables – yes the actual house depicted in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s famous book.  There’s something amazing about walking through a structure with such literary and historic importance.  Salem has also devoted itself to preserving the history of its infamous Witch Trials and there are several historical houses and sites to visit in connection to that sad chapter in American history.  There’s so much to be said about Samhain in Salem that I think I’m going to save it for a later post. Needless to say, I can’t wait to continue my tour of fall festivals.  Below are links to some of my favorite festivals in New England. Enjoy & Happy Harvest!

Connecticut Renaissance Faire

Keene Pumpkin Festival

King Richard’s Faire

North Quabbin Garlic and Arts Festival

Pagan Pride Project

Salem Haunted Happenings