Winterthur Butternut Squash Soup with Curry, Coconut, and Pecans

Ingredients:
• 2 large butternut squash or 4 lbs. peeled & cubed butternut squash
• 2 medium onions
• 3 cloves garlic (optional)
• 3 Tbsp. butter or vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp. salt plus more to taste
• 8 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 Tbsp. curry powder
• 12 oz. coconut milk

Topping Ingredients
• 8 oz. bag of shaved coconut
• candied or glazed pecans
• 1 c. sour cream
• 1/4 c. pure maple syrup
• 3 acorn squash at least 5” in diameter (choose squash that will sit flat on the stem side and the bottom)

Preparation:
Toppings and acorn squash bowls should be made in advance.

Toasted Coconut
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spread shaved coconut evenly on a cookie sheet. Place sheet in the oven on the center rack.
3. Bake for 5 minutes at a time, stirring coconut to ensure even toasting between the baking sequences. Baking time varies depending on the accuracy of your oven temperature, and how thinly the coconut is laid out over the baking sheet. Note: Watch carefully during the final minutes. The coconut will turn color very quickly.
4. After toasting, let cool and store in an airtight container.

Maple Crème
1. Combine sour cream and maple syrup in a medium bowl.
2. Cover bowl and refrigerate.

Acorn Squash Soup Bowl
1. Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Cut acorn squash across the center and scoop out seeds and loose fiber.
2. Place squash cut side down on a cookie sheet. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes to soften. Set aside.

Soup
1. Halve, seed, peel, and cube the butternut squash. Set aside.
2. Halve, peel, and chop the onion. Mince the garlic, if you like.
3. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the butter or oil and the chopped onion. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 3 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
5. Add the squash and the broth. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until the squash is very tender, about 20 minutes.
6. Transfer small batches to a blender. Hold a kitchen towel over the top (to prevent burns) and whirl until completely and utterly smooth, 2 to 3 minutes per batch.
7. Return the soup to the pot and add more salt to taste.
8. Finish with Curry Powder and Coconut Milk.
9. Place each halved acorn squash in a bowl, top with toasted coconut.
10. Crush the candied pecans, placing them over the toasted coconut.
11. Put a few tablespoons of the maple crème in a zipper bag, snip the corner, and drizzle over the top of the soup.

Over the next few posts, I’d like to introduce some of the fantastic folks who make our events so… well… fantastic!

I’ll start with myself. My name is Jen Lamb. I am the new Catering Sales Manager at Restaurant Associates at Winterthur Museum & Country Estate.

I have worked meetings, special events, and concerts at locations throughout North America for nearly 15 years. I have had the pleasure of working with musicians and actors like Jimmy Smits, Don Johnson, Jesse Bradford, Boyz II Men, Alan Jackson, Everclear, Soul Asylum, Kracker, and Taylor Swift. Do these people remember me? Not likely! I was the short brunette escorting them from place to place, taking photos, checking on guests and VIP’s, and generally behind the scenes.

Art Alexakis from Everclear and me after a lakeside summer concert in Missouri.

I am married with two kids (13 and 10, both girls, lots of drama) and a dog (5, a rescued pit-lab mix, very loving, often forgets he’s not a lapdog). The family has always wished I could find the work I love closer to home. Something didn’t require a plane ticket or a two-hour commute. As a Delaware native and resident, I am very excited to be working in my home state!

I started with Winterthur in late April and spent my first “Winterthur weekend” in training at Restaurant Associates headquarters in NYC. My first impression of RA was, “Wow!” Angela, Nina, Jeanine, Andrew, thank you for everything you did that first weekend and beyond to help me jump right in!

Since then, I’ve had the pleasure of working with more than 15 families on their wedding days, met with countless others in preparation for their upcoming weddings at Winterthur, and talked to about a billion more about trusting us with their weddings for 2012 and 2013. Recently, the mother of one of our brides asked me if I would be here on the day her daughter gets married. My response? ”I haven’t NOT worked a wedding since I started. It’s too much fun!” (Yes, I used a double negative. My high school Advanced English professor would be so ashamed.)

In case you’re wondering the same thing, a manager is onsite for all events. I do realize that at some point, I will need to take a vacation. However, I’m enjoying myself far too much to stay away. Maybe in January!

A few of the couples getting married here at Winterthur have asked me to add dogfish onto their beer list for their wedding evening. And I do this, with great trepidation! I have never gotten my order of Dogfish delivered - never.

This past Sunday in the business section of the New Journal I finally got to know why - not just rumor- a whole story on dogfish production and delivery. Sam Calagoine speaks to the News Journal about how they are looking to reign in where they are selling in an effort to deliver what is ordered. Here are a few of the key facts, as I see them…

Dogfish is distributed in 30 states

Production has increased 303% in the past 5 years; last year was 20%; it is still not enough!

“To ensure no store was completely cut off, an allocation system was adopted” - what’s that mean - as one store owner says in the article - “it is not uncommon to order 40 (cases) and get 5 or 6″

So I will continue to add dogfish to your orders but buyer beware - with this demand and not enough supply - there are no guarantees. To read more please visit delawareonline.com for the full article by Eric Ruth.

Taste and select your wine - then pick your food! It is so much easier to change your food and add or take out an ingredient - you can’t do that with your wine.

When cooking at home - taste your wine - write down specific tastes you can pick out - then add those items to your dish. Taste your wine - then taste your food and wine together - there should be some great compliments happening.

Finally take it up another notch - taste your wine - write down specific tastes - then cook with opposite taste - such as sweet and salty. See how the wine and the food really balance each other out.

And even if you don’t get perfect at it - a night with friends, food and wine is always a good night to me!

Tastings coming up

March 4, 2011 - 6pm - Full and Closed

April 8, 2011 - 4:30pm - Space Available

June 2, 2011 - 6pm - Space Limited

July 7, 2011 - 6pm - Space Available

August 11, 2011 6pm - Space Available

As a general reminder or for planning purposes you want to be selecting a tasting approximately 6 moths to 4 months in advance so that you have all of your menu selections prior to meeting with your stationer to prepare your invites. Please let Lauren and I know which one you would like to attend!

Anybody out there have some? Kindly respond to the blog or to Lauren or I via email so as can help some other brides in need

Thanks!

Spring fever is here. I think every tour I have for the next few days is thinking Spring 2012 and with the temps at 60 degrees or higher I can’t blame them.

We are totally booked for our March 4th tasting and almost booked for April. Once we hit June we do host a tasting every single month through the end of December - right before we close again. Let Lauren or I know if you need to schedule a tasting time.

We have met with almost all of the brides through August. Once we get open Lauren and I will be contacting those of you in September to start planning meetings. Please don’t hesitate to let us know if you have questions in the meantime.

Started the week on Sunday with a quick dip in the ocean for the Polar Bear Plunge that benefits the Delaware Special Olympics - they raised over $550,000 that day and whats 37 degree water anyway?

Tuesday was the NACE meeting and this months topic productivity - turns out - I am already pretty productive but everyone can use an extra tip here and there right?

Tomorrow morning I start at Thersa Florals to see her new workspace and check out her inspriations and new design ideas for this coming year. I can’t wait.

After that I am in for a bit then over to Longwood Gardens again for more safety training - but I am going to steal a few minutes and check out their newest displays.

Saturday all day with wedding tours - we still need our boots to cover the snow at the reflecting pool but at least it is supposed to break 40 - wahoo - how many more days until Spring?