I get immense satisfaction from using produce from my garden to feed my family. I'm a full-time mother and home maker, but in growing and utilizing a garden, I feel I'm making a valuable contribution to our family economy. I felt that satisfaction even this week-end, in the dead of winter, as I used potatoes and buttercup squash grown in the garden and stored in my garage.

Frankly, the veggies were frozen solid because it has been bitter cold around here!

 To prepare the squash, I cut it in half, placed cut side down in a greased glass dish, added about 1/4 C water, covered with plastic wrap and microwaved it for about 20 min. After it cooled a little, I scooped the squash out of the skin, put it in a mixing bowl, and added butter, salt and pepper and a little brown sugar (which it didn't really need--already very sweet!). With my hand mixer, I beat it well. Then I transferred it to a glass casserole dish and baked it in the oven for about 20 minutes more--although, you could skip this last step if the squash hasn't cooled too much.

I used the potatoes to make Potato Cheese Soup with Green Chilies, one of our favorites.  I'll include the recipe below--I follow it faithfully, except that I add cubed ham.  The Aneheim chilies I used are, by the way, also from my garden.  They were roasted, peeled and frozen in the fall.  Maybe someday I'll do a post where I rave about Chilies and tell how I came to have such an affection for them! (Boy, that should hold my readers in suspense!)

Potato Cheese Soup with Green Chilies

4 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cube
1/3 cup flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
27 ounces whole green chilies (drained and chilies diced into bite-sized pieces, Mom used canned, I use fresh roasted chilies, abou)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
pepper

Directions:

1.Heat butter in large dutch oven or other large soup pan over medium heat.
2.Add onion and garlic; cook until onion is tender.
3.Stir in potatoes and cook for abbout 1 minute.
4.Stir in flour until smooth and continue cooking 1 minute.
5.Slowly add broth stirring well.
6.Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
7.Stir in milk, chiles and salt.
8.Heat until simmering.
9.Add cheeses; cook and stir just until cheeses melt. Do not boil. Add pepper to taste. Serve in individual bowls. Garnish as desired.

Read more at: http://www.food.com/recipe/merms-potato-cheese-soup-with-green-chilies-254925?oc=linkback