No more tiny batches of soup for me...a new 16 quart stock pot.

When I make my Butternut Squash Soup, my roasting pot is filled right to the brim, so stirring is almost impossible and using the stick blender to purée always results in my getting burned. So today, I invested in a large stock pot to make soups and stocks. Finally. It will be easier and I will be able to make about three batches at a time. Isn't it lovely.

Over an hour of chopping and this is what you get. 

The most unbelievable tool for chopping tough herbs like Rosemary. That said it is without a doubt the most dangerous kitchen tool I've ever used. Those round blades are like razors. It is impossible to grab it or clean it without putting downward pressure on the rounded plastic and risking slipping right onto the blades. The sides should be straight up and down. So if you're accident prone....don't buy one of these. 

I took some seeds from the Butternuts. They were so superb that I just had to. They are grown in Central Saanich organically by Dan, so they may be better suited to this area than the seeds I've been using. In two years I've not managed one single squash.

A rite of passage...Butternut Squash Soup

Every fall I make Butternut Squash Soup. I love it beyond reason. I was determined this year, to make enough for the whole winter. We like to have a grilled cheese, or a piece of Sourdough bread with the soup. It is perfect for winter.

One of Farmer Dan's beautiful Butternut Squash's. 

Cutting up the squash and vegetables.

Chopped up and cooking. 

I bag the soup, label it with the year and lay them flat on my plate to freeze. When they are frozen they then stand up flat in the freezer. So one batch done, three to go.

The recipe:

Butternut Squash Soup

1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 Onion, chopped
1 Clove Garlic, minced
3 lb butternut squash {peeled and diced}
1 sweet potato {peeled and diced}
2 Apples {peeled, cored and diced}
6 cups vegetable stock
1Tbsp rosemary, or 1 tsp dried
1 Tbsp thyme, or 1 tsp dried
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
A pinch of cayenne {optional}

Heat oil in a large pot. Sauté onions and garlic until soft and fragrant. Add squash, sweet potato and apples. Stir to combine. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until squash is very soft. Purée soup. I use a stick blender, but you must be very careful if soup is hot. I still manage to splash molten soup on myself every time. Maybe use your blender??

Making garden notes....

I went next door and sat in the sun. As usual it was at least ten degrees hotter over there. I took my tape measure, note pad, pen, glasses and coffee next door and sat in the sun. I looked, I pondered and planned. I took measurements of the paths and gardens that are in place, so that I could put them onto my massive {3x4'...no really} sheet of graph paper.

Winter cleanup..or..putting the garden to bed for the winter

I've spent a lot of time getting the garden cleaned up and ready for winter. We wrestled the two potted Japanese Maples out of their pots. It was a brutal amount of work. The pots are pumpkin shaped so the root ball was wider than the opening at the top. Good grief. Here is the shed with one of the blue maple pots cleaned up and ready for next year. Allan drained all the hoses and I put the sprayers away. Feels good to be on it. We got our first frost today.

Well, this sure is a change from last weeks weather

Sorry it is such a terrible photo. It's only midnight, so I assume it will go below zero tonight.....shiver.