Butternut squash wants to be soup. It’s sweet, it’s dense, and it blends into something silky without any cream tricks. Ours gets a pour of goat milk at the end — we use our own — which gives it a little tang that plays off the sweetness. Whole cow’s milk works fine, and so does a splash of cream; the squash is doing most of the lifting either way.

What you need

1 large butternut squash (or 2 small)
1 sweet onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
3 tablespoons butter
About 4 cups of water or broth
1 cup goat milk (or whole cow’s milk)
Salt, pepper, and a small grate of nutmeg if you’re feeling fancy

How we do it

Peel the squash with a regular vegetable peeler — it’s easier than people think — halve it, scoop the seeds, and cut it into rough chunks. Nobody will ever see them again, so don’t fuss.

Melt the butter in your soup pot and cook the onion with a pinch of salt until soft and just starting to turn gold, then the garlic for a minute more. Add the squash and enough water or broth to almost cover it. Simmer 20–25 minutes, until a fork slides through the squash with no resistance.

Blend it smooth — an immersion blender right in the pot is the no-dishes way, or a regular blender in batches, lid cracked so it doesn’t redecorate the kitchen. Back on low heat, stir in the milk, and season with salt and pepper until it tastes like something you’d order. If it’s thicker than you like, thin it with broth; if thinner, let it simmer a few minutes uncovered.

A bowl of this with bread and butter is supper. It also freezes well before the milk goes in, so a couple of $3 squash in October turns into lunches deep into winter.

From the farm: Butternut squash are $3 each and sweet onions $2 on the route now, with German hardneck garlic alongside. Locally grown and locally sourced. Free delivery in the Norwich and Syracuse areas; Binghamton free on orders of $20+, otherwise a $5 delivery fee. Message us or check the shop.

Photo: Stacy Spensley, Flickr, CC BY 2.0.