bellies full of autumn : the best butternut squash soup i've ever made & herb bread worthy of such soup

oh my. oh my. oh my.
i want to eat this every night for dinner.
it really does fill your belly right up with
everything delicious and nourishing about autumn.

i-n-g-r-e-d-i-e-n-t-s {for the best butternut squash soup of all time}

3 lb butternut squash
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp ghee {you can substitute melted unsalted butter...but ghee is soooo much better}
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1 tsp brown sugar
14 oz coconut water
1/2 pint heavy cream

directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. cut up your butternut squash into 4-6 large pieces, placing them flesh down in a baking pan with a bit of water at the bottom. just a bit. cover the pan with tin foil. bake the butternut squash for 45 minutes at 400 degrees...until the flesh is nice and soft and juicy and wonderful.
3. When the squash has been cooking for about 30 minutes saute the green onions in the olive oil until golden brown and filling your tiny apartment with aroma that follows you for the rest of the night.
4. When butternut squash is tender remove from oven, and let cool until you can handle it with your hands. Remove flesh from the skins, and place flesh in large frying pan with onions, discarding the skins into your compost bin.
5. Add ghee, nutmeg, salt, and brown sugar to the frying pan as well, and cook it all together on a low-med heat for about 20 minutes.
6. Then take this concoction and dump it into a blender. Add the coconut water and cream. Blend. Blend. Blend.
7. Re-heat in a saucepan if needed.
8. Eat it up.
{serves 4 to 6}


i-n-g-r-e-d-i-e-n-t-s {for herb bread}

3/4 cup warm water
1 packet yeast
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp oregano
1/8 cup olive oil + a little more for brushing

parmesan cheese
bavarian feta cheese {optional, but highly recommended}
cornmeal for pizza/bread stone

directions

1. dissolve yeast in warm water
2. while yeast is disolving, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, rosemary, and oregano, in medium mixing bowl.
3. slowly stir in the olive oil to the flour mixture with a wooden spoon.
4. slowly stir in the yeast/water mixture to flour mixture...dough should be slightly sticky. knead a few times into a round shape.
5. let rise for one hour.
6. after the dough has been rising for about 1/2 an hour, prepare a pizza/bread stone in the oven by setting it in the oven at 475 degrees for 25 minutes.
7. once the dough has risen double in size (about one hour) roll the dough out on lightly floured surface into a circle or square about 1/4 inch thick. brush the dough lightly with olive oil.
8. sprinkle cornmeal onto hot pizza/bread stone and transfer dough onto the stone. lower oven heat to 450 degrees and cook 7-9 minutes until bread is golden on the edges. for the last minute or two of its cooking time spread the parmesan on the bread.
9. as soon as you remove the bread when it is done cooking spread the bavarian feta cheese lightly.
10. eat with butternut squash soup and that's all you'll ever need in life.
{serves 4-6}

we ate this delicious dinner for two nights in a row...
we could have spread it over three nights,
but we couldn't help ourselves.
we drank apple cider with these meals,
and really, truly, i've never been so happy with a meal.

this week has been a good week for food at our house,
so good that i hardly have the will-power to rip my fingers & lips
away from the food in order to take photographs to show you all.
we've had butternut squash pizza and rainbow carrot tacos as well this week.
dinner has been very very satisfying.