Pumpkin, Date and Nut Bread

I know you've likely been inundated with pumpkin recipes at other blogs you visit, Instagram, Pinterest or your local newspaper ever since fall arrived, so I apologize...a little :)  Because, if you make one pumpkin bread this season, I'd really like you to try this one.  Not a fan of dates or can't eat nuts?  Just leave them out.  The bread is delicious on it's own.  

I first became aware of this recipe when Barbara, an Instagram friend of mine, shared it recently.  Since I love dates and nuts, and pumpkin of course, I was excited to make it.

The recipe was published in Maida Heatter's Cakes cookbook.  I adapted it slightly by using less cloves and adding a generous sprinkle of raw sugar on top of the unbaked loaves.  I also used my Wilton 4-cavity mini loaf pan.  The small loaf size is perfect for my husband and I can freeze the other loaves to enjoy later. 

Delicious with a cup of coffee in the morning or tea in the afternoon!  It's a keeper!

I have to share some photos of an exhibit we visited last weekend.  We are so fortunate to have China Lights, also known as the Asian Lantern Festival on display near us right now.  The gorgeous displays are handcrafted by Chinese artisans, some of which are 150 feet high.  This year, the theme is Chinese Treasures and Endangered and Extinct Animals. One of the exhibits was a replica of the Terra Cotta Warriors discovered buried in an emperor's tomb, and another spectacular exhibit is of a huge dragon and baby dragon. We were so happy we chose of the few nights it didn't rain last week! 

If you have the opportunity to visit this exhibit on display near you, do not hesitate.  It's beautiful!  

Then, have some pumpkin bread when you return home :)  

Pumpkin Date and Nut Bread

Printable Recipe

2-1/2 cups AP flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2 eggs

3/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed  

1/2 cup avocado oil, or other healthy oil

1 can of your favorite brand of canned pumpkin (15 oz)

8 ounces (1 cup) pitted dates, cut up (see note)

4 ounces (1 cup) walnuts, broken or coarsely chopped

1-2 tablespoons of raw sugar for sprinkling on top of the loaves, optional

Notes.  I used a kitchen shears to first cut the dates in half lengthwise and then cut each half into 2-3 crosswise pieces. I used my Wilton 4-cavity mini loaf pan and had just the right amount of batter to fill the 4 cavities.  

Preheat oven to 350 and place rack to the lower third of the oven. Butter or spray a 10x5x3 inch loaf pan  and dust with fine bread crumbs. (I used Baker's Joy baking spray and did not use bread crumbs).  

Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves and set aside. 

In a large bowl, with a hand mixer set on low, beat the eggs just until combined.  Add the sugar, beating just to blend. Add the oil, beat just to blend. Mix in the pumpkin, then add the dates. Add the flour mixture and stir or beat only until it is blended, then stir in the nuts.  Pour the mixture into the prepared pan(s) and smooth the top.  Sprinkle with a little raw sugar over the top of each loaf.  

If you are using a large pan, bake for 70-80 minutes. If using smaller pans, baking time will be less, about 45-55 minutes. Start checking the loaves with a clean toothpick before the recommended time is over as all ovens are different.  The toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf should come out clean. Cool in the pan(s) for 15 minutes before removing to cool on a rack.

Cover and store at room temperature or refrigerator for several days or wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2-3 months.  

Recipe adapted from Maida Heatter's Cakes cookbook.

Note: Savoring Time in the Kitchen is a member of the Amazon Affiliate Program. If you purchase a product by following a link that we provide, the price you pay as a consumer does not change, but if you do make a purchase through one of these links, we earn a very small commission for providing that link. Thank you for your support of Savoring Time in the Kitchen!

Apple, Pear and Cranberry Tart

This easy-to-make upside down tart, or tarte tatin, is the essence of fall with apples, pears and cranberries in a deliciously different pastry crust.

The tart is prepared in an oven-proof skillet with a layer of caramelized brown sugar, butter and spices at the bottom and a delicious oat and butter crust on the top.  After baking, it is flipped upside down onto a plate so the caramel layer coats the filling mixture for a delicious and not too heavy dessert.  Vanilla ice cream would be a great addition!

The recipe says to serve warm but it was just as good after a night in the refrigerator.  We loved it!  The crust was a delightful surprise and I could have eaten the whole thing if my husband hadn't beat me to it.

We had our first freeze this past weekend.  With the temperatures reaching the 70s today through Wednesday we are officially having Indian Summer.

 

Speaking of Indian Summers is anyone else watching the PBS series? I'm enjoying it very much. The cast is wonderful!   

Apple, Pear and Cranberry Tart

Printable Recipe

This easy to make upside-down tart or tarte tatin in French, uses the best that autumn has to offer and the crust is delicious! See My Notes below.

8 servings

Crust

1 cup white whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons ice water

Filling

2 ripe but firm pears, peeled and thinly sliced
1 large apple, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup fresh cranberries

To make the crust:

Put the flour, oats, granulated sugar and salt in a food processor and process until the oats are finely ground. Add the butter, a piece at a time, and pulse two to three times after each addition, until blended. Add the oil and water and pulse only until the dough starts to come together. Put the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead it a few times until it holds together. Pat the dough into a 5-inch disk and wrap in plastic or wax paper.  Refrigerate while the filling is prepared.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

To make the filling:

Toss the pear and apple slices with lemon juice in a large bowl.

Put the brown sugar, butter, cinnamon and ginger in a 10-inch ovenproof skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until the butter and sugar are melted and the mixture starts to bubble. Remove from heat. Arrange the pear and apple slices in concentric circles, starting at the center and work outward, overlapping the slices and adding another layer until all the slices are in the pan. Scatter the cranberries over the top.

Return the pan to medium-low heat and bring the liquid to a simmer.  Peek under the fruit or listen for the bubbling if you cannot see it. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Uncover and cook, gently tilting the pan occasionally, until the sauce becomes a thicken and caramelly, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Roll the dough between sheets of parchment or wax paper into a 12-inch circle. Peel off the top sheet and invert the dough over the fruit. Peel off the remaining paper. Quickly tuck the edges of the crust down into the sides of the pan. Prick the top with a fork. 

Bake in the preheated oven until the crust just begins to brown around the edges, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to release the crust then place a serving plate larger than the pan on top and invert the tart onto the plate. Serve warm.

My notes: I used King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour for the crust and used a seasoned 8" cast iron skillet for the tart. While there was a little too much dough, the filling ingredients were just about right.  I did need to add another half apple.  Perhaps mine were a little smaller.

Adapted from Eating Well.com

Honey-Lacquered Chicken with Lemon and Rosemary

I love when a recipe saves your culinary spirit.  After a couple of flops in the new-recipe-department last week, I was feeling a little low and upset about wasted time and ingredients.  Luckily, I found this recipe that saved me from a three strike failure. This easy-to-make roasted chicken is perfect for a cool, autumn evening.

The original recipe uses small, whole chickens but I used some large, locally-raised, antibiotic-free chicken legs instead because we love chicken legs. Since I wasn't stuffing whole birds with the lemon, garlic and rosemary, I placed them on the baking pan underneath the chicken legs.

The chicken parts are brushed with a honey/lemon/balsamic mixture and roasted in a hot oven to produce the beautiful lacquered skin and then finished at a lower temperature.  Chicken is so versatile that any side dish you like would be wonderful.  Roasted potatoes, squash, or grilled eggplant, which is what we had.  I found this beautiful, Italian eggplant at the Farmers' Market, which we sliced, brushed with olive oil, seasoned with some Italian herbs and grilled. 

So far, fall has been kind to us and I still have quite a few things blooming in the garden.  These photos were all taken in the past several days.

Two of my favorite fall-blooming flowers are the Colchicums, or autumn crocus, in the first photo along with Japanese Anemone and Tricyrtis or toad lily, above, with some favorite dahlias.   

How is Fall in your area?  Although the trees are changing color, we are behind in both color change and leaf drop compared to last year.

Honey-Lacquered Chicken with Lemon and Rosemary

Printable Recipe

*Please see My Notes below

1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or glaze
Whole chicken legs
Salt and Pepper
6 small rosemary sprigs
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1/3 of a lemon, cut into slices

Preheat the oven to 450°. 

Rinse with cool water and dry chicken with paper toweling.

In a small bowl, combine the honey, lemon juice and balsamic. Scatter the rosemary sprigs, garlic and lemon slices over a baking sheet. Set the chickens pieces on top of them. Brush two-thirds of the honey glaze over the chickens and season lightly with salt and pepper. Roast in the middle of the hot oven for 20-30 minutes, checking after 20 minutes. 

Reduce the oven temperature to 325°. Rotate the pan and brush with the remaining glaze. Roast the chicken for about 30-40 minutes longer, until the juices run clear when the thighs are pierced, basting with the pan juices at least twice. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before carving, and serve.

My Notes: I halved the glaze ingredients and used four whole chicken legs to serve two people.  The original recipe calls for soy sauce instead of balsamic vinegar and uses whole chickens which are stuffed with the garlic, rosemary and lemon.  Use 3 large sprigs of rosemary, 3 quartered garlic cloves, and 1/3 lemon if using whole chickens.  Increase roasting time if you are using whole chickens.

Recipe Adapted from Food and Wine

Sandy's Browned Butter Applesauce

This delicious, Browned Butter Applesauce is a recipe I had saved from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel food column of Sandy (Sanford) D'Amato, a James Beard Award-winning chef and former owner of famed Sanford Restaurant in Milwaukee. He sold his restaurant to his talented chef-de-cuisine and moved to New England with his wife to write his cookbook and memoirs, Good Stock, and has recently opened a cooking school in Massachusetts called Cook Stock Farm Cooking School. With autumn and apple season in full throttle, I made his recipe this past week.

Speaking of New England, I was the VERY fortunate winner of a seafood giveaway from Fresh New England recently!  El lives in and promotes New England through her gorgeous photography and amazing baking skills. The giveaway was her way to celebrate the recent launch of her new website, Fresh New England Eats which, with her team, promotes the New England food community.  Not only did I win 2 beautiful, live, New England lobsters...

 

...but an entire clambake for two including mussels, steamers and clam chowder direct from Ipswich Shellfish Market in Ipswich, Massachusetts.  They were a pleasure to contact and very helpful with tips on how to store the shellfish until time to cook them. The shellfish came beautifully chilled and packaged this past Friday, arriving early the very next morning after it was shipped, which just happened to be National Lobster Day!

Two very dear friends, who have many years of lobster boils under their belts, were invited to share our bounty, cooked over our back yard fire pit.  We supplemented with Gulf shrimp, Littleneck clams, Wisconsin corn-on-the-cob, locally made sourdough bread and my garden tomatoes. A delicious collaboration of East meets Midwest, and, what a feast! Warm clam juice, melted butter, and seafood sauce were supplied for copious dipping of the shellfish.  FYI, I had never eaten New England Steamers before and they are unlike any other clam I've eaten. Thankfully, our friends had and were able to teach us how it's done. They are delicious!

The clams, mussels and shrimp were wrapped and tied in cheesecloth 'bags' for the boil and were our first course followed by the lobsters, corn and tomatoes for the main course. Here is an easy method for an Indoor, Stove-top Clambake from Ina Garten if you'd like to try one at home! Ours was kept simple with no other additions to the water for the boil.

Not only were the fresh shellfish delicious and a special treat in itself, but we were lucky enough to enjoy a gorgeous, early fall evening with the almost-full Supermoon overhead! It was a magical night!

If all this weren't bounty-enough to shout about, I also received this charming, vintage-replica basket loaded with New England goodies from El! A variety of crackers, preserves, raspberry and hibiscus jam (oh my), New England honey and maple syrup, country ketchup, and a bottle of craft made, pure cranberry soda mixer. The basket also included Food Rules - an eaters manual by Michael Pollan, which is wonderfully well written, humorous and beautifully illustrated.  I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to live a healthier life by eating good, natural food.

Thank you very much to El, Fresh New England and Fresh New England Eats for this amazing, delicious, bountiful, fresh, New England prize!!

Sandy's Browned Butter Applesauce

Adapted from Chef Sanford D'Amato

Printable Recipe

Use this wonderful applesauce to top pancakes for breakfast, add to cottage cheese for lunch or serve with pork chops or roasted pork for dinner. Even the apple peels are put to use. It is loaded with the rich flavors of cardamom, butter, vanilla extract and a touch of bourbon.

Makes approximately 1 quart

My Note:  Instead of mace, cardamom and cinnamon, I used Penzey's Baking Spice mix which contains all three.

2 tablespoons salted butter
4 pounds Gala, or another tart apples (about 6 large), peeled (reserve peels), cored and cut in half, each half cut into 8 pieces
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon ground mace
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, cassia preferably
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Cider peel liquid:

1 tablespoon butter
Reserved apple peels
¼ cup bourbon
1 ½ cups unsweetened apple cider

Place a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. When hot, add the butter, let it melt and turn golden brown. Immediately add the apples and stir. Add bay leaves, mace, cardamom, cassia cinnamon and salt.  Cook, covered and stirring regularly, so that the apples evenly turn a light golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat.

To make the cider peel liquid, place a large sauté pan medium-high heat. Add the butter and, when hot, add the peels and sauté, stirring, for 4-6 minutes, until golden. Remove from heat and add bourbon and cider. Place back over the heat and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Puree this mixture in a blender, then strain through a medium strainer while pressing on the solids — this should yield 1¼ cups.

Add the cider peel liquid, vanilla and lemon juice to the cooked apples and cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring, over low heat. Remove bay leaves and puree coarsely by pulsing in a food processor. Adjust seasoning with salt and refrigerate until needed.

Fresh applesauce will keep for about 10 days refrigerated or, up to a year in the freezer.

Duck Confit Parmentier

I can cross one thing off of my Foodie Bucket List.  I made duck confit this week!  I love roasted duck and duck confit. Whenever I'm in a restaurant that serves duck, I will order it but I've rarely made duck myself and never have I made duck confit.

Don't run away if you don't like duck.  I think this recipe would be perfectly adaptable to roasted chicken thighs or even the dark meat from your Thanksgiving turkey! Parmentier is a French version of Cottage or Shepherd's Pie.  Comforting and oh, so delicious.

 

The driving force behind this recipe was the cookbook that I won from Penny at Lake Lure Cottage....The utterly gorgeous new cookbook from the blogger Mimi Thorisson (www.mimithorisson.com) called A Kitchen in France. Thank you, Penny! I love this cookbook! 

I had fully expected to buy already made duck leg confit at a store in town that I know sells them (I believe Whole Foods and Trader Joes do occasionally have it also) but then I remembered a poultry specialty store in Milwaukee called Tower Chicken that sells duck legs and now, rendered duck fat as well at a very reasonable price compared to the more well-known kitchen specialty shops.

I'm so happy I tried making my own because I know I will make it again. I'd love to try a cassoulet with duck confit next, although my husband would eat the duck leg confit on its own anytime.

The recipe for the duck layer is so delicious too with onions, shallots and red wine and then topped with a lovely layer of seasoned Parmesan mashed potatoes. 

I served a simple side of French green beans sauteed with thyme sprigs...

and we drank a glass of Côtes du Rhône, which was also used to make the duck layer. Again, feel free to substitute any dark meat poultry in this recipe.  Even a rotisserie chicken would work!

Although I made my duck confit with purchased duck fat, click here for a very easy recipe for duck confit from Melissa Clark at Food 52.  I used her seasonings but roasted using the method I found on Epicurious. I'm planning on using Melissa Clark's easy method next time to see how they compare. Mimi Thorisson's method can be found on her website here.  

 

Since this will be my last post until after Thanksgiving, I would like to wish everyone who celebrates a very wonderful and Happy Thanksgiving!

Duck Confit Parmentier

Adapted from A Kitchen in France by Mimi Thorisson
Printable Recipe

Serves 4

For the Duck Layer:

4-5 duck confit legs, either store-bought or homemade (other dark meat poultry may be substituted, if desired)
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 shallots, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
3/4 cup dry red wine

For the mashed potato layer:

2-1/2 to 3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream (or creme fraiche)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

To make the duck layer, remove the skin and bones from the duck legs and shred into small pieces.

In a large saute pan, over medium heat, melt the butter and saute the onion and shallots until light gold and tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the minced garlic and saute for another 30 seconds. Add the shredded duck meat and parsley and saute for another 2 minutes. Pour in the red wine and simmer to reduce slightly. About 5 more minutes. Transfer the mixture to a baking dish or oven proof skillet so that the duck layer takes up about 1/3 of the height of the dish or pan. Set aside.

To make the mashed potato layer, place the peeled potatoes in a pot. Cover with salted water and bring to a boil. Cook until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain the potatoes and either pass throw a potato ricer back into the pot or use a regular potato masher. I prefer using a potato ricer for a smoother texture. Add the butter, sour cream or creme fraiche and grated Parmesan cheese and mash until blended. If too stiff, add milk, a little at a time to make spreading easier.

Top the duck mixture with the mashed potatoes and flatten the potatoes with a fork to make an even layer. I used a piping bag fitted with large star tip to pipe the mashed potatoes over the duck.

Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven until the potatoes are golden brown, about 25 minutes or so.

The Best Fall Slaw!

There are perks to living near a city with several of James Beard Award-Winning Chefs.  Outside of the obviously great food at their restaurants, one of them writes a witty food column for our Sunday newspaper's food section.  Even though Sandy D'Amato no longer lives in Milwaukee and has sold his restaurant Sanford to his Chef de Cuisine (and recent James Beard Award winner as well), he still writes his weekly column. More than a few times, he shares a recipe that I simply have to be make right away. 

Such was the case for this amazing autumnal slaw. Celeriac, apples, celery, red onion and dates tossed with a cardamom dressing.  Doesn't that sound great? 

If you're not familiar with celeriac (also called celery root) and wouldn't know what it looked like if one was staring you in the face, it reminds me of a small ogre's head. Yup. Certainly not the beauty queen of the produce aisle, but, peeled of it's outer knobby and warty-looking brown exterior, it's a wonderful, mild vegetable. I've used it cooked and mashed in lieu of potatoes (delicious and low starch) and also in soups, but this was the first time I've used it raw. Not related to celery at all, celeriac is a relative of fennel, carrots, parsley and parsnips. 

My husband started 'tasting' the slaw before our fish was grilled that evening and before the end of dinner the entire bowl (more than you see here) was gone. It won high praise from my husband and we both gave it two thumbs up. It is the best fall slaw!

The Best Fall Slaw

Adapted from Chef Sanford d'Amato
Printable Recipe

1 pound celery root (celeriac)
½ red onion
2 crisp apples (such as Gala or Fuji)
2 ribs celery, cleaned and cut on the bias ¼ inch thick
6 to 8 pitted dates, cut into ¼-inch pieces
1-¼ teaspoons kosher salt
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, or mint, chopped

Lemon cardamom dressing:

Zest of ½ lemon
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons honey (my addition)

To prepare the lemon cardamom dressing, combine the lemon zest and juice in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Reduce to 1 tablespoon liquid. Cool to room temperature, then add the remaining dressing ingredients and blend well.

Peel the celery root to yield about 10 ounces. Cut into ¼-inch slices, then cut the slices into thin, julienne strips and cut those in half. Place in a large bowl.

Peel and core the onion, then slice very thin. Rinse under hot water, then in cold, and drain. Add to celery root in bowl.

Cut the apples in half, core, and cut into quarters.  Cut each quarter into ¼-inch-thick slices from stem to bottom. Add to bowl.

Add sliced celery, dates, salt, pepper and parsley or mint. Mix in reserved dressing. Toss well, cover and chill in refrigerator until ready to use.

Butternut Squash, Apple, and Leek Soup

What a crazy week of weather it has been here!  Monday, it was 84F, by late Monday afternoon it dropped to 59F.  It warmed to 80 again on Thursday, cold and rainy on Friday and tonight we have a frost warning.  This is a soup weekend if there ever was one!

Last week, a fellow blogger, Bonnie, at From a Writer's Kitchen, wrote about a butternut squash soup made with apple that she found in the Chicago Tribute. You can click on the link above and see the recipe Bonnie made. It sounds wonderful and I love butternut squash.  Bonnie mentioned how flavorful the soup was with the hint of apple.

Then, a couple of days later, I happened to pick up the cookbook that I had won in a giveaway from Sam at My Carolina Kitchen, called Savoring the Hamptons, where I found a recipe for Butternut Squash, Apple and Leek Soup. I've made a couple of recipes from the book when we entertained this past summer but when I'm entertaining I rarely have time to take pictures.  So finally, Sam, I was able to make AND photograph a wonderful recipe from this cookbook! It was delicious and my husband loved it too.  Thank you so much for this wonderful cookbook, Sam!  I have many more recipes bookmarked to try.

The addition of the apple, leeks, onion, sage, a splash of freshly squeezed orange juice, along with parsley and sage really made this a top-notch recipe.  The recipe also mentions the optional garnish of plain croutons but I had to bring those up a notch also so I baked mine with a generous sprinkle of black pepper, garlic salt and some chopped fresh herbs.  They were perfect with the soup. 

Thank you again, Bonnie, for the idea, and to you, Sam, for the cookbook.

I mentioned in my last post that I would share a few more photos of our trip to Atlanta where we attended a wedding in September. The Atlanta Botanical Gardens were a highlight along with a visit to The Swan House that same day.  

Those of you who have seen the movie, The Hunger Games - Catching Fire, may recognize the opulent facade of the home with it's five-tiered waterfall in the center of the staircase.  This is what guests saw upon entering the driveway. The photo at the bottom of the above collage is the rear of the home where carriages or cars would pull around to enter the home.  

Above, you see the beautiful foyer and staircase, the dining, room, library and sitting room.  Another very highly recommended stop if you are ever in the Atlanta area.  It doesn't cost anything to do your own self-guided tour of the home where you can walk around freely and enjoy all of the rooms with original furnishings. To enter the museum on the property you do need to pay admission.  All of the above photos (except for the one from the movie) I took on our visit. 

Butternut Squash, Apple, and Leek Soup

Adapted from Savoring The Hamptons
Printable Recipe

Serves 6 to 8

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 butternut squash 2 to 2 1/2 pounds
2 leeks
1 onion
1 tart apple
6 cups chicken stock (low sodium if using store bought)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1/4 cup finely chopped Italian (flat-leaf) parsley (plus a little more for croutons)
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves (plus a little more for croutons)
Black pepper, Garlic and Herb croutons (recipe follows)

Peel, seed and cut butternut squash into 1-inch pieces using a large chef's knife. Trim, wash and thinly slice leeks and onion. Peel, core and coarsely chop apple.

Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan or stock pot over medium heat. When the butter foams, add the butternut squash, leeks, onion and apple and saute for a minute or two. Then, place a piece of wax paper or parchment paper over the vegetables and cover the pan. "Sweat" the vegetables for about 7 minutes. Remove and discard the paper.

Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the orange juice and cook the soup over low to medium heat at a steady simmer for 25 to 30 minutes.

Puree the soup in the pan with an immersion blender, or, puree in several batches in a regular blender.

The soup can be prepared ahead up to this point and refrigerated, covered, until ready to serve. Bring back to a simmer, add the chopped parsley and sage and serve with croutons, if desired.

Black pepper, Garlic and Herb Croutons
Preheat oven to 350F.

Choose a good loaf of French bread, sliced. Prepare 1-2 slices for each person. Brush each side of bread with olive oil, then sprinkle generously with ground black pepper and garlic salt. Sprinkle with some chopped parsley or sage, if desired. Cut each slice of bread in 1" x 1" pieces (you do not need to remove crust) and scatter in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Toast in preheated oven for about 7-8 minutes until golden. Watch carefully toward the end so they do not burn.