Quilting is not my thing. Quilt — yes, especially the thick, squishy, sleeping-bag comfort of the down quilt. Quilting — no, especially the tiny-stitch, T-square obsessiveness of the patchwork project.
So the fact that vacation brought on a quilting frenzy is not simply surprising. It’s nutty.
The vacation took place some time ago. Specifically: years. I spotted the quilt in an open-air market. I thought its abundance of sparkles and sequins and super-soft velvet would appeal to the young and trendy. Specifically: my young and trendy sleeper.
She liked it. It liked lying flat on her bed and falling to pieces. Before she packed for college, I knew it needed a stitch here, a patch there and major surgery down the middle. Three semesters in, my dining-room table hosts an abundance of embroidery floss, velvet scraps and Band-Aids.
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If I can keep up the pace, it will make a nice gift for graduation.
Butternut veloute
Prep: 45 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Makes: 10 to 12 servings
Veloute, from the French for velvet, is a smooth and creamy soup. This one makes a good start to Thanksgiving.
2 small butternut squash, 4 pounds total
Canola oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 onion, halved, thinly sliced
3 shallots, halved, thinly sliced
1 quart chicken or vegetable broth (or water)
3 cups heavy cream
Sage croutons, for garnish, see recipe
1 Roast: Halve squash the long way. Scrape out and discard seeds and strings. Rub flesh with a little canola oil; season with salt and pepper. Set on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet, cut-side down. Slide into a 350-degree oven; roast until skin is blistered and flesh is very tender (poke with a fork, right through the skin), about 45 minutes. Let cool. Scrape out flesh; discard skin.
2 Simmer: In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium. Slide in onions and shallots. Cook, stirring, until translucent, 8 minutes. Pour in broth. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Drop in roasted squash. In a separate saucepan, bring cream to a boil. Pour into the soup; simmer, 20 minutes.
3 Serve: Use a stick or standard blender (mindful of that “hot fill” line) to swirl soup completely smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Scoop 1-cup portions into small bowls. Scatter on croutons. Enjoy.
Sage croutons: Cube 6 slices of brioche bread (day-old is best). (For neat cubes, freeze bread first.) In a large skillet set over medium-high heat, melt 3 tablespoons butter. Add 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook until fragrant, a few seconds. Add bread cubes. Cook, tossing often, until croutons are toasty brown, about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
Provenance: Adapted from a recipe from Petit Louis Bistro, Baltimore.
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