Today is a bit dreary here in New England, but the days leading up to this one have been perfectly gorgeous.  The leaves are rapidly turning, colorful mums are coming up in my front flower bed {and everyone else’s}, and our farm had acorn squash, spaghetti squash, and pumpkins to take home yesterday!  {The pic is not our farm co-op, but another local farm and maple sugar house.} We have yet to pick apples, but these days of school and sports and church activity fly by so quickly that it seems difficult to fit all of the proper “New England fall” activities into the schedule.  I DID have a Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks last weekend, so that was one necessary item checked off the list.

After our veggie-pick-up yesterday, Kayla and I stopped by Atkins Farm Market to pick up a few extra groceries, and while we were standing at the deli counter getting turkey and cheese, we noticed the prepared bread pudding in the next case over. It wasn’t just any bread pudding, though.  This bread pudding was made with the farm’s homemade cider doughnuts!  Oh my. Can you imagine? It’s upon discoveries like that that I wish we didn’t have to follow a gluten free diet, and I may just have to try substituting a gluten free doughnut and re-creating that delectable-looking dessert here at home!

Here’s a recipe I tried out last fall mostly because I was interested in the “cider cream” !  I don’t remember where I found it, but have it scribbled down on a small piece of paper in my kitchen.  There wasn’t any butternut squash for us to take home yesterday, but I can’t wait to make this soup again when they are ready!

5 Tbsp butter
6 cups butternut squash {peeled, seeded, chopped}
2 cups leeks
1/2 cup carrots {peeled, chopped}
1/2 cup celery {chopped}
2 Granny Smith apples {peeled, cored, chopped}
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp sage
5 cups chicken broth {could use veggie broth for a vegetarian version}
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 1/2 cups cider
2/3 cup sour cream
chives ~ optional

Saute squash, carrots, celery and leeks in butter for 15 minutes. Add in apples, thyme, and sage.  Transfer to stock pot if using a skillet to saute, and add chicken broth and 1 cup of cider.  Simmer for 30 minutes.  In batches, puree in blender or food processor and then return to stock pot. Bring to a slow simmer.

Boil 1/2 cup cider until reduced by half. {about 5 minutes} Cool.  Whisk cider together with sour cream.

Add the 1/2 cup of whipping cream to the soup and stir.  Ladle soup into bowls and drizzle cider cream across the top of the soup.  Tops with chives to serve, if you like.