a goodbye kiss to summer
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Summer has held on here in the Midwest well past the official change to fall. And while we have enjoyed it, we’re finally kissing summer goodbye with what I believe to be the first chill in the air today.
It’s an interesting phrase, really, “to kiss something goodbye.” It comes from the genuine gesture of blowing someone a goodbye kiss or the real wet, sloppy kind, but it has come to be used more cynically to imply that we will never get something back. And that’s kind of how it feels here as we put on our jackets for the first time since the spring: as if winter will soon be here and summer will never return.
Fortunately, this is not Narnia, and the earth will continue to turn, so we know that summer WILL be back one day (even though it does seem so far away right now).
So, I hope you don’t take this dramatically when I say that I am kissing summer goodbye. It’s more like with a goodbye party for someone that you love and will see again soon.
This butternut-squash corn chowder is my goodbye party for summer as we welcome in fall. It combines the spoils of a summer garden – herbs, corn, and peppers with the fall’s shining stars – butternut squash, sage, and walnuts.
Until next year, summer. Mwah
Butternut-Squash Corn Chowder with Walnut-Sage Gremolata
5-6
servings25
minutes35
minutesIngredients
1 butternut squash (about 1000g)
2 Tablespoons cooking oil
2 teaspoon ground sage, divided
2 teaspoons nutmeg, divided
1 1/2 Tablespoons of kosher salt, divided
1 pound of pork sausage (omit for vegan/vegetarian)
1 yellow onion (250 grams)
1 fennel bulb (250 grams) (save the fronds for garnishing)
5 cloves garlic (25 grams)
2 Fresno peppers (60 grams)
3 springs of lemon thyme, de-stemmed (or sub regular thyme)
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup hard apple cider (120 ml)
3 Tablespoons cornstarch (25 grams)
2 Tablespoons miso paste (35 grams)
3 cups vegetable or corn stock (700 ml)
1 can coconut cream (13.5 fl. oz)
2 Tablespoons maple syrup (30 grams)
3 cups fresh or frozen sweet corn (450 grams)
- Walnut-Sage Gremolata
1 cup walnuts (110 grams)
1/2 cup fresh sage leaves (15 grams)
3 tablespoons olive oil (45 grams)
zest of four lemons
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions
- Butternut-Squash Corn Chowder
- Preheat an oven to 350 degrees° F. Peel, gut, and dice the butternut squash into 1/2 inch cubes. Toss the squash in 2 Tablespoons of cooking oil, 1 Tablespoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of ground sage, and 1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg. Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until browned and just tender when pricked with a fork. Set aside.
- While the squash is roasting, small dice the onion, fennel, and Fresnos. Smash and mince the garlic.
- Heat a 4-quart pot over medium-high heat. Once the pot is hot, add the sausage and brown. Remove the sausage and set aside, but do not turn the heat off.
- While the pot is still hot, add the onion, fennel, and remaining salt (1/2 T) and cook until translucent.
- Next add in the Fresnos, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, pepper, turmeric, remaining sage (1 t), and remaining nutmeg (1 t). Cook until the vegetables just begin to stick to the pan, then deglaze with the hard cider.
- Once the cider has cooked down, add in the cornstarch and stir until dissolved.
- Mix in the miso paste and then quickly stir in the stock, coconut milk, and maple syrup and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes.
- To the soup mixture, add the roasted squash and corn. Remove about one quart of the soup and blend until smooth (avoid blending the bay leaves.) Stir the blended soup back in with the chunky soup and mix in the sausage.
- Walnut-Sage Gremolata
- To make the gremolata, start by heating a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add a very small amount of cooking oil. When the oil is hot, toss in the sage leaves. Cook the sage until just slightly softened but not crispy. This will only take about 1 minute. You want the leaves to maintain their softness but to take away the bitter taste of fresh sage. Place the leaves on a towel to absorb any excess cooking oil.
- To the same skillet, add the walnuts and toast until aromatic and slightly browned (when they start to smell nutty, they are ready). This will take about 2-3 minutes.
- Mince both the sage and the walnuts and add to a bowl with the lemon zest, olive oil, and salt.
- Garnish a bowl of chowder with the gremolata and fennel fronds (if your fennel came with them). Cheers!
Recipe Video
Notes
- If you use fresh sweet corn, save the stocks to make a corn stock to use in the soup!
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