Butternut Squash penne and Sweet Potato Chickpea soup

SF was an awesome weekend. coming back to the real world... or this twisted reality i call the real world was incredibly depressing. the weather was beautiful, the topography and geography was amazing, the food was delectable, the people were so nice and everything!! it was just so perfect. Napa valley was beautiful and while we were only able to go to taste at two vineyards, it was such an amazing day well spent. we did our homework and watched bottle shock the night before Napa. of course we also sat there in wikipedia to find out what REALLY happened! of course this was followed by Glee. lots of Glee.

one thing that would have made san francisco absolutely perfect would have been trees turning. the road down to monterey was beautiful as we drove up and down the mountainside. we were surrounded by huge tall trees and in monterey, we were surrounded by gorgeous cypress trees... but everything was green. somewhere deep in my heart, i longed for the deep oranges and reds and the yellows and purples and the orange tipped green leaves, the trees that would quietly soak up the evening sun and change to match the color of the sky.

of course, missing the fall colors did not stop me from bursting into tears at the first sight of the ocean through a break in the cypress woods. it wasn't even a full view. just a glimpse. the waves caught the sun and you could see the cliffs and rocky beaches... and my heart stopped to do a back flip and then tug at the corner of my eyes.

i cry for beauty. J cries for humanity. together, we are an emotional pair :-)

Back in the midwest, to tackle the depression, D and i made a festive, fall flavored dinner!
Butternut Squash Penne and Sweet Potato Chickpea soup

Pasta sauce
1 lb butternut squash
1/2 medium white onion
4 strips of bacon
1 clove garlic
1/2 T brown sugar
1/3 c cream
1/2 c chicken broth
sage

penne rigate as al dente as you like it

Soup
1 large sweet potato cut into smallish cubes
1/2 med white onion
2 stalks celery chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 c chicken broth
1 c water
1/2 c cream
1/2 c chick peas
1/2 c diced tomatoes
butter

salt and pepper to taste
Directions for the pasta:

• chop the butternut squash into 1/2 in cubes
  
• fry the bacon. when the bacon is crispy, put the strips aside and reserve some of the bacon drippings. add chopped garlic to the bacon fat and let fry for a minute
• add the chopped butternut squash and brown in the bacon fat
• sprinkle brown sugar over the squash and continue cooking, adding some chicken stock if it dries too much
• while the squash is cooking, start preparing the noodles.
  
• when the squash cubes are tender, add the remaining chicken stock and cream and let simmer for a bit.

• the squash sauce should be both chunky and creamy

• pour/scoop sauce over the penne and shave parmesean/aged manchego over the sauce

Directions for the soup

• chop celery, sweet potato, onion and garlic and sautee in a pat of butter in a saucepan until the sweet potatoes are mostly tender
• add chicken broth and let simmer until the potatoes are tender
• puree the broth containing the vegetables until smooth, adding water until the desired consistency is reached
  
• add the diced tomatoes and canned chick peas and let simmer until the peas are tender
• add the cream and some cracked pepper
  

the soup and pasta were amazing. david garnished his pasta with the bacon pieces. i added a sprinkle of black truffle salt to mine and it was perfect. the flavor of the pasta was slightly sweet and the soup was somehow rich and savory. i think if the pasta or the soup had been a little spicy, it would have been absolutely perfect. i would put up photos but they turned out terribly. so instead, i'll leave you with pictures of the ocean.

The beach

Near the Lone Cypress