This week we were inspired by autumn ingredients and relished the last visit of the season to the farmers’ market.  For lunch we made butternut squash soup and arugula and beet salad.  Butternut squash, golden and red beets were freshly plucked from the farmers’ market.  This is our mini version of a farm-to-table menu.      

Recipe for Butternut Squash Soup:

Roast a medium butternut squash (peeled and cut into 1-inch size) in olive oil, salt, and black pepper in oven (400 degrees) until tender and cooked. 

Dice a small onion and sauté it in olive oil in soup pot until tender.

Add roasted butternut squash and 14 oz. chicken stock (either store bought or homemade).

Blend soup in blender to the consistency you like (we prefer smooth).

Return soup to pot and add 14 oz. coconut milk.

Bring soup to a boil.

Add ½ teaspoon curry powder.

Season soup with salt and black pepper to taste.

Arugula and Beet (red and golden) Salad:

Roast beets (peeled and cut into halves or quarters) in oven (400 degrees) until tender, about 35 minutes.

Assemble salad: arugula, cool roasted beets, avocado, red onions, dried cranberries, and walnuts.

Optional: add protein (cooked chicken or shrimps) to salad.  We add sautéed shrimp.

Dress salad in Dijon mustard vinaigrette.  There are many recipes out there and we use the one in the Silver Palate cookbook.

Our farmers’ market finds: