Fresh Autumn squash, makes a perfect meal

Fall is here. Just step outside, you can feel a crisp tingle on your skin and smell the fall freshness in the air. Or look in your garden. The bright orange of the pumpkins, the deep golden brown of the autumn figs, and the shock of ripe red apples all signal that the fall harvest is almost ready to bring inside.

One of falls main crops is squash. Squash is a fairly new addition to the culinary larder. A new world product that is great baked, boiled, steamed or stewed. With a few good recipes squash can become a family favorite.

Renaissance Italy may have had Michelangelo, but the joys of squash had yet to be discovered. Gourds however were used in much the same way as we now use squash. This recipe is from the Italian manuscript the Epulario which was written at the height of the Renaissance. The old world gourd of the Epulario was probably Lageneria Siceraria, often called Italian zucchini or cocozelle. The eastern Benincasa, or chinese wax gourd, may also have been available. Besides eatting gourds the Italians also grew the long narrow varities into unusal decorative shapes and dried large round varities to use as swimming floats. This soup is rich and smooth without any of the calories or fat of cream. Use green zucchini in this recipe or spagetti squash. Yellow zucchinni is also good, but this soup can be made with almost any type of squash. You can lower the fat grams even further by using veggie broth, egg replacer and less cheese.

To make a broth of Gourd
Make them cleane as they ought to bee, then seeth them in clean flesh broth, or else with water alone, adding thereto certaine Onions as you thinke good, and when it is boiled take it out, then either bruse it small or stampe it, and straine it through a Cullander, and then againe set it to seeth in a pipkin with fat broth, and a little verjuice, and let them bee some what yellow with Saffron, and when they are sod take them off the fire, and set them to coole, then take yolkes of Egges according to the quantity, and beat them with a little okd cheese, and put them to the said meat, stirring it with a spoone least it smell of the smoke, then dish it and cast spice upon it.

Gourd Soup
6 cups broth
4 cups yellow squash
1 large onion
1/4 cup white wine
1/8 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup wine vinegar
3 whole eggs
2 pinches saffron
1/2 cup parmaesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

In a large stock pot heat the broth. Chop the squash and the onion. Cook them in the hot broth until soft. Cool slightly and then puree until smooth with an emulsion blender or in a food processor. Be very careful if you use a food processor hot broth splattered around the kitchen and on you is not a happy experience.

In a bowl beat together wine, lemon juice, vinegar, eggs and saffron. Stir this mixture into the cool broth and return all to the heat. Stirring constantly heat the liquid until thick and almost boiling. You must stir constantly to avoid scorching.

Add cheese, salt and pepper at the table to taste. Serve hot. Serves 8.

Acorn squash baked with a bit of butter and a little brown sugar is perhaps as close to the perfect fall food as you can get. Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Slice a small piece off the round side of the squash so it will sit steady in the oven. Dab a bit of butter into the hollow and sprinkle some brown sugar on top of it. Bake until the squash is tender and the butter and sugar are bubbling.


Food is life. May the plenty that graces your table truly be a vast repast.

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