Butternut Squash Soup version 1

I finally took the immersion blender for a spin!  All those beautiful squash were asking to be blended into soup.  

I used Alton Brown's recipe for a base:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/squash-soup-recipe/index.html

Alterations:

- plus 1 medium red onion (chopped), one dried bay leaf, 3 cloves garlic - sauteed in olive oil for 10 minutes

- minus the honey

- double/triple the minced ginger

- add one roasted apple (chopped in half and roasted for 30 minutes) and a dash of cinnamon

- used 5 lbs of butternut squash (2 large ones - not very accurate Alton!!!), cut in half, covered in olive oil (not butter) and baked at 400 degrees for 40 minutes, removed the hollow ends and baked the rest for another 10 minutes.

- substituted water for one of the cups of vegetable stock

- substituted milk for some of the heavy cream

- added the pepper at the end

Notes for next time:

- use 2 large tart baked apples (peeled) instead of 1

- don't use vegetable stock - just add carrots and leek with the onion/etc - and then add salt to taste

- use milk only, not cream

- add more water (it was too thick)

- perhaps only buy 4 lbs of squash

- use only 1/2 teaspoon of white pepper

- possibly use fried sage instead of ginger?

In other words, version 2 should look like this:

- Preheat oven to 400

- Cut 2 small butternut squash (4 lbs total) in half, slather in olive oil, bake cut side up for 30-40 minutes, remove the hollow bits, then bake the rest for another 10 minutes

- Meanwhile, cut 2 tart (granny smith) apples in half, core, and roast them cut side up for 3o minutes

- Find your immersion blender

- Saute for 15 minutes in olive oil (in French oven):  1 chopped red onion, 4 cloves garlic, 1 bunch of chopped carrots, whole sage leaves and 1 bay leaf.  

- Remove sage and bay leaf.  Keep sage for garnish.

- Prepare 1/2 teaspoon of white/black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

- Skin and chop squash and apples.  Add them to the sauteed vegetables, and add water to cover.  Bring to a simmer and turn off heat.

- Blend everything thoroughly

- Bring temperature back up.  Add milk, water, nutmeg, white/black pepper, salt to taste.