Food expo star offers delicious fall treat

Butternut squash soup is best served with apple bruschetta. Together, they're a perfect treat for fall. (T-G Photo by Sadie Fowler) [Order this photo]

In anticipation of the upcoming cooking school and expo Oct. 20, sponsored by the T-G and relish® Magazine, I perused through the recipes relish® chef Jon Ashton is planning to prepare for the Shelbyville Cooking Show.

I was able to see pictures of the dishes as well and by the time I had finished looking through Ashton's recipe plan, I was starving.

Meatballs in sofrito sauce, rosa di parma, bananas flambé, and my favorite ... butternut squash soup, which Ashton serves with apple bruschetta ... yum!

It all sounds a little fancy, I know, I know ... But one thing relish® prides itself in is making elegant dishes simple -- they provide recipes that you and I can prepare with ease and satisfaction.

I do a relish® review column once in a while to highlight each month's relish® recipes before they're distributed to T-G readers. This time, I made a relish® recipe for a different reason ... I absolutely love butternut squash. I sort of always thought butternut squash soup would be difficult to make, so I usually only eat it when I see it on a restaurant menu. After seeing Ashton's recipe, I decided to give it a whirl and see just how easy relish® made this standard fall staple.

I'll admit, when driving home last night the last thing I wanted to do was handle squash, especially after my mom told me it's sort of a pain to cut and peel butternut squash.

"Just have Jack help you out," suggested my mom.

"Jack help in the kitchen? Why, mother, that's about the funniest thing I've heard all week!"

When I got home I warned Jack that I was going to make something a little different, and I was going to take my time to prevent losing fingers in the process. (If you'll remember, I tend to rush sometimes while working in the kitchen, which leads to disaster from time to time.) Jack saw me take the butcher knife to the first squash and that's all it took ... a miracle had taken place, and Jack was chopping squash for me.

Once we got the hang of it, it really wasn't difficult at all, but it does take patience. I cut the squash into several pieces before peeling it, which seemed to make everything a whole lot easier.

Once that was done, making the soup was a total breeze. All I had to do was boil it in chicken broth, pureé it and add the remaining ingredients, including sour cream, butter, cayenne pepper, brown sugar and a few other things. (Note: Ashton is big on healthy eating and his recipe actually calls for light sour cream, making this soup quite healthy. I'll admit, I did not use the low fat sour cream.)

The best part about chopping squash was how easy it made chopping apples seem. Since I was making the butternut squash soup, I went ahead and made Ashton's apple bruschetta as well. Together, they really made a nice and warm combination -- a perfect fall lunch, snack or light dinner.

The recipes follow (they can also be found in our special cooking tabloid, which came out Friday), but if you'd like to see Ashton make this recipe, or several other delights, in person, come by the T-G and get your tickets for the Oct. 20 cooking show and expo. If you're not into cooking, come to the show anyway. It's just as much of a comedy show (Ashton is very funny and entertaining) and several local businesses will have vendor booths open during the expo, too. There will also be numerous door prizes given away. I hope to see you all there!

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Butternut squash soup with caramelized apple bruschetta

2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks (about 3 cups cubed)

4 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 cup low-fat sour cream

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

White pepper

2 tablespoons brown sugar

Chopped fresh chives

1. Combine squash and broth in a large saucepan; bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer until squash is tender, about 20 minutes. Uncover and cool.

2. Purée squash in blender or food processor.

3. Return purée to saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Stir in sour cream, butter and cayenne. Add salt, white pepper and brown sugar. Serve with Caramelized Apple Bruschetta, if desired, and garnish with chives. Serves 6.

Per serving (without Bruschetta): 160 calories, 8g fat, 25mg chol., 5g prot., 18g carbs., 3g fiber, 580mg sodium.

Recipe by relish Chef Jon Ashton

Caramelized Apple Bruschetta

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

2 tablespoons butter

3 apples (Granny Smith, Gala or Winesap) peeled, cored and diced into quarter-inch cubes, about 2 3/4 cups

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 baguette, sliced on the bias, into 3/4-inch slices

1/4 teaspoon finely ground sea salt

Coarsely ground black pepper

Fresh thyme for garnish

1. In a large nonstick skillet melt butter and olive oil over low heat. Add apples, sugar and cinnamon and cook until browned and crisp-tender, about 12 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 400F.

3. Place bread on baking sheet, brush with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes.

4. Place a spoonful of apple mixture on top of each slice and garnish with thyme, if using. Serves 12.

Per serving: 180 calories, 5g fat, 5mg chol., 5g prot., 29g carbs., 2g fiber, 300mg sodium.

Recipe by relish Chef Jon Ashton