Dark Days Challenge Week 4

One helpful tip for folks looking to eat locally, seasonally, and healthfully in the Winter: learn to love squash. Squash is one of the latest crops to be harvested in the fall, and generally has long storage times. Some varieties can store all the way until spring if you keep them dry.

For my Dark Days meal this week, i made some scrumptious squash soup. Warm, healthy, tasty and locally sourced: this soup is as easy as it is delicious.

This was a very basic soup: one squash and one leek coarsely chopped and boiled in enough water to cover them. I threw in some herbs and spices and finished the soup by blending with my immersion blender and adding just a touch of yogurt and milk. Served with a side of crusty bread baked just 6 miles away and you've got yourself one satisfying meal! (Especially when you slather the bread with homemade garlic butter, nom nom nom).

Delicious Delicata & Leek Soup

It is definitely winter squash season and my favorite this year is Delicata. The flavor is a bit like butternut, but even better. It's hard to describe, but i'm in love. Gathering Together Farm in Philomath, OR touts some of the yummiest Delicata around, and i've stocked my cupboards full!  I'll can a batch in the next week or so, but in the meantime i've been sauteeing, baking and souping up a storm.


This soup is uber easy: just boil a cleaned and chopped leek, a halved and seeded delicata cut into chunks, some herbs and spices to your preference (i used sage, turmeric, cayenne, salt/pepper and garlic) and cook until soft. Once soft, just pulse with an immersion blender until the soup is smooth. You could add milk or cream just before serving for an extra decadent soup, or leave it as is.

This soup is also lovely cold or re-heated as leftovers. Try leaving any!