This Week's Share and Notes From Nikki

I cannot believe its raining again.  I had really been enjoying the sunshine, along with the relatively warm weather and the changing leaf color.  Oh well.  The one good thing about the rain is that it forces me in front of the computer and I can update the blog.  Nikki has provided the perfect soup for this cool and rainy day--it seems to embody the sunshine we are missing today.  Enjoy both the recipe and this week's share.

This Week Share:
Winter Squash or Sweet Potatoes (depending on pick up day)
Potatoes
Green Beans
Cooking Greens
Eggplant and/or Green Tomatoes
Sweet Green Peppers
Hot Peppers
Garlic
Lemongrass
Dandelion Greens
Parsely
Sunflowers

NOTES FROM NIKKI
Butternut Squash, Corn, and Lemongrass Soup
This soup is decidedly rich and creamy without being heavy. A perfect soup for a wet, fall day. Kaboocha squash would work here as well (I would roast it right in its skin first to deepen the flavor). The corn can be added in after blending with an immersion blender for a chunkier version (I was in the mood for something smoother). Feel free to fish out the lemon grass stalks before blending. I always leave them in as I don't mind a few strings here and there in exchange for a more pronounced lemon grass experience. :-) Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 large butternut squash (or two small), skinned, seeded, and roughly chopped
2 stalks of lemongrass, outer leaves removed, cut into 2-3" pieces and then sliced again vertically
8 oz. frozen corn
6-8 C stock (I used chicken, but veggie would work fine here)
1 15 oz. can coconut milk (I prefer the full-fat version for the best flavor)
2-3 T extra virgin olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large sweet onion, chopped
1 hot pepper, seeded, de-ribbed, and roughly chopped (I used one of the milder poblanos from our Inverbrook share. Feel free to use something hotter, or leave in some seeds and ribbing for more heat.)
Sea salt
Generous handful of fresh chopped cilantro leaves
Toasted pepitas for topping

1. Saute the garlic, onion, lemongrass, and hot pepper in the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat until the onion is softened.
2. Add in the squash, tossing to coat.
3. Add enough stock to cover the squash mixture.
4. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer until the squash is tender.
5. Turn off the heat, and add in the corn, coconut milk, and a generous dose of sea salt.
6. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth.
7. Stir in the cilantro, and taste and adjust.
8. Serve topped with a sprinkling of toasted pepitas.
Serves 8-10