Winter Squash Chowder

Adapted from Andrea Bemis’ Local Dirt

Ingredients

4 bacon slices, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried sage
pinch of ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper
2 medium potatoes (go ahead, use those blue ones!), cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 winter squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 cup white wine
1 bay leaf
3 cups beef broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
minced parsley for garnish (optional)

Instructions

  1. Heat a large dutch oven over medium head, cook the bacon until it is crispy. Remove bacon from DO and set aside.
  2. Remove all but 1 Tbs of fat and return to medium heat. Add onion, garlic, sage, nutmeg, pinch of salt, 1 tsp of pepper. Cook until the vegetables are soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the potatoes and squash, stir, and cook for about 3 minutes.
  3. Add the wine and bay leaf and bring to a boil, stirring up all the browned bits stuck to the bottom of the DO. Add the broth, reduce heat to low, and gently simmer until the potatoes and squash are tender.
  4. Purée until smooth 1/3 of the mixture in a blender, return to pot, and stir in cream. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
  5. Remove the bay leaf, ladle into bowls, and top with bacon and parsley.