Happy Halloween!

My kitty, Audrey, likes Halloween, too!

Today, I'm giving you the most delicious soup recipe! It is great on a chilly day, like Halloween! Fresh vegetables, fresh herbs, a hint of crushed red pepper, and awesome homemade croutons really make it sing. Even my carnivore husband loves it!

(Oops! I forgot the fried sage leaves in the picture!)

Superb Squash Soup with the Best Parmesan Croutons

Serves 8, great leftover for lunch!

Ingredients:

For the soup:
Olive oil, like WeOlive oil
16 fresh sage leaves
2 red onions, peeled and chopped
2 sticks celery, trimmed and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon crushed red chile pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 1/4 pounds butternut squash, onion squash, or musque de Provence, halved, deseeded and cut into chunks
2 quarts good-quality chicken or vegetable stock

For the croutons:
Extra-virgin olive oil
16 slices ciabatta bread
1 chunk Parmesan, for grating

Directions:

In a very large saucepan on medium heat, add a couple glugs of olive oil. Add the sage leaves and fry for around 30 seconds or until dark green and crisp. Quickly remove them with a slotted spoon to a bowl lined with paper towels - you'll use these for sprinkling over the soup at the end. In the pan you'll be left with a beautiful flavored oil.

Add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, rosemary, chile  and a good pinch of salt and pepper to the pan. Cook gently, for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables are sweet and soft.

Add the squash and the stock to the pan, bring to a boil and simmer for around 30 minutes.

While the soup is cooking, make the croutons. Drizzle a little olive oil over the ciabatta slices, and press some grated Parmesan onto each side. Place in a non-stick pan, without any oil, and fry until golden on both sides.

When the squash is soft and cooked through, remove the rosemary sprigs and whiz the soup with an immersion blender or standard blender and pulse until you have a smooth puree. (Be careful when blending hot liquids.) Most importantly, remember to taste and season it until it's perfect. Divide the soup between your bowls, placing 2 croutons on top of each. Sprinkle with a few of your crispy sage leaves and drizzle with a swirl of good-quality olive oil.

Recipe adapted from "Jamie at Home" by Jamie Oliver.

I Believe!!!

*I do not own the copyrights to the following videos or music. The videos are from MLB.com, courtesy of Fox and KMOX, and the music is "Dark Horses" by Switchfoot, from their album "Vice Verses."*

Thanks to zsisgreat, whoever you are!

Olive Oil Tasting? YES!!!

I'm very familiar with wine tasting, but olive oil tasting? Never, until now! During my recent jaunt to California, I was encouraged to visit WeOlive in San Luis Obispo. They were more than delighted to offer me an olive oil tasting of various Californian olive oils. It was an eye-opening experience to realize the dynamic diversity of various olive oils. In my euphoria, I dropped a pretty penny on four bottles, which WeOlive was more than happy to ship to my home. Some of their products are available online, if you feel the urge.

Well, with my spanking new bottles of premium, high-quality olive oil, fresh from California, I was inspired to make Joanne Weir's recipe for "Feta Preserved in Fruity Virgin Olive Oil with Summer Herbs". Preserving feta this way transforms it into a firmer, more flavorful cheese, great enjoyed with crusty bread, olives, roasted peppers, and capers. I also couldn't resist adding a bow to show that it makes a great gift!

Feta Preserved in Fruity Virgin Olive Oil with Summer Herbs

Serves 6

Ingredients:

3 sprigs fresh oregano
1 sprig fresh rosemary
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs savory (optional)
3/4 pound feta cheese
extra virgin olive oil
2 sprigs rosemary, for garnish

Directions:

With the spine of a chef's knife, tap the herb sprigs gently to bruise the stems slightly.

Warm 1 cup of olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the herbs and heat just until the herbs sizzle, 30 to 60 seconds. Do not boil the oil! Remove from the heat and let cool.

Place half the herbs and olive oil in a 1-pint jar. Cut the feta to fit into the jar. Add the remaining herbs and oil to the jar. Add enough additional oil to cover the feta completely. Cover the jar and place in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 weeks.

To serve, bring the feta to room temperature and place on a platter. Discard the herb sprigs. Drizzle a few tablespoons of the oil over the cheese. Sprinkle with chopped fresh herbs, garnish with rosemary sprigs, and serve.

Recipe by Joanne Weir, Weir Cooking: Recipes From The Wine Country.