Christmas

Directions:
Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion and cook slowly over low heat until tender but not brown. (Keeping the pot covered will cause the onion to "sweat," creating moisture and cooking without burning.) Add squash and broth, and then heat the mixture to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 20 minutes or until squash is tender.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat the milk, with mint or rosemary, cloves, peppercorns, coriander, and pepper flakes, to boiling. Remove from heat and set aside. When squash is fork-tender, puree it in a blender or food processor until smooth. Return to heat. Pour the infused milk through a fine strainer into the pureed squash. Taste and adjust salt as needed. Heat through.

Serve with a garnish of mint sprigs and a dollop of sour cream.

Recipe makes six servings.