Confetti Chowdah (VEGAN)

Music: Tracy Chapman

Ingredients:

3 Medium Potatoes (peeled, diced)
1 1/2 cups water
1 tsp canola oil (or olive oil)
1 small onion, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
1 small red pepper, finely chopped
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2/3 cup unsweetened soymilk (or rice milk)
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels (best off the cob)

Place the potatoes and water in a large pot - bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let summer for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile...
Place oil in a pan, heat to medium high.
Add onion, celery, bell pepper, carrot, oregano, and thyme.
Cook, stirring constantly (about 5-8 minutes).

When potatoes are tender, remove them from the heat.
Remove about 1 1/2 cups of potatoes and put them in a blender.
Add the soymilk (or rice milk) to the blender and puree until smooth.

Pour the puree back into the pot with the remaining potatoes and their cooking liquid.
Stir in the corn and the other vegetables.

Warm the mixture for about 10 minutes, and serve HOT.

Butternut Squash Soup with Cider Cream (not vegan)

This soup tastes like fall: kicking up red, orange and gold leaves, cool crisp wood fire warmed nights. It's the bomb.

The recipe can be modified to exclude dairy products. I sauteed my leeks in butter (smells os good!) but skipped the dairy finish and the apple cider reduction (though I read it takes the soup over the top). I also added a generous amount of fresh ginger (~4 peeled quarter-sized pieces).

Yield: Serves 10

5 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 6 cups)
2 cups chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only)
1/2 cup chopped peeled carrot
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 small Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried sage leaves
5 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
1 1/2 cups apple cider
2/3 cup sour cream

1/2 cup whipping cream
Chopped fresh chives

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add squash, leeks, carrot and celery; sauté until slightly softened, about 15 minutes. Mix in apples, thyme and sage. Add stock and 1 cup cider and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until apples are tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Cool slightly.

Working in batches, purée soup in blender. Return soup to pan. Boil remaining 1/2 cup cider in heavy small saucepan until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Cool. Place sour cream in small bowl. Whisk in reduced cider. (Soup and cider cream can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and refrigerate.)

Bring soup to simmer. Mix in whipping cream. Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle with cider cream. Top with chives.