You know you have an awesome recipe when the kids walk in the front door at the end of the school day and say "Mom, what are you making? I need to eat it, now." That was both of my daughters' reactions when I made this delicious slow cooker butternut squash soup. Fall is the season of squash, the markets are filled will every variety. Our favourite squash to make soups with is the classic butternut squash. After a long work day there is nothing quite like being greeted with a warm slow cooker full of homemade soup. This recipe could not be easier to make - toss all the ingredients into the slow cooker before you walk out the door in the morning. Bake up a batch of maple syrup roasted squash seeds with the kids and add a little sweet crunch to the soup. A simple, hearty and healthy dish that is a real crowd pleaser.
Ingredients
3 lb butternut squash
2 medium carrots
1 apple, whatever variety you have on hand, we used a gala
2 shallots
2 cloves of garlic
2 cups vegetable stock
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
sprig of fresh sage
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
1 tbsp sour cream
Directions
Peel, seed and chop the squash into 1/2 inch pieces. Toss into the slow cooker.
Peel and chop carrots into 1/2 inch pieces. Toss into slow cooker.
Chop shallots and garlic and toss into slow cooker.
Sprinkle in nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Toss in sage.
Pour in vegetable stock.
Cook, covered, in slow cooker - 4-6 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.
Once the time has elapsed and the vegetable are all soft, use an immersion blender to pureé the vegetables, or carefully transfer the cooked vegetables to a blender and pureé. Be careful, the soup is HOT.
Stir in sour cream and serve.
We thought it would be fun to roast the squash seeds, much like we roast our pumpkin seeds, and add a little crunchy sweetness to the soup. The kids love getting their hands dirty playing with those slippery seeds.
To make roasted squash seeds simply clean off the seeds that were removed from the squash, rinse them and pat dry.
Toss seeds in a mixture of 1 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tbsp canola oil, pinch of cinnamon and a pinch of salt.
Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake in 350°F oven for 10 minutes, turn and roast an additional 10 minutes.
Let cool and sprinkle on top of the soup.
Enjoy!
Everybody loves a field trip - especially kids. What if the field trip involved farm fresh food, cheese, wine, and beer? Pretty great field trip, right? The best part about field trips is how much learning takes place while everyone is having fun. There are so many amazing ways to get kids (and adults) excited about food, right outside the grocery store door. With a little planning you can embark on a culinary adventure with the family this weekend.
Ever dreamed of owning a farm, but didn't want to wake up at the crack of dawn every single day? Perhaps one weekend on the farm would be okay? Adventurous families who are looking to unplug the devices and plug into farm experience will not be disappointed with a stay on a farm. Kids will learn where the food they find in the market actually comes from. Piebird Vegan Farmstay in Nippissing, Ontario invites guests to spend time with the goats and take a stroll through the gardens.
Preparing food is a fun way to connect with your children, but sometimes as parents we might not have the best kitchen skills. Take a cooking class together. Many culinary schools, community centres and even some grocery stores offer classes that are suitable for families. Spend some time learning a new skill together. The Chef Upstairs, in Toronto, offers a variety of classes for kids, teens and adults - perfect for families.
What better way to learn about a new culture than through exploring the food they eat? A foodie trip to a different country is as simple as heading to an international food market in your city. Step outside the familiar and discover fruit, vegetables and much more from around the globe. Discover the flavours of the world by planning a visit to Vancouver's Chinatown or Toronto's Gerrard India Bazaar. Fill the grocery basket with the ingredients needed to make a dish your family has never tried to make before.
Most of the time fish is purchased at the grocery store, from the freezer or the fish monger counter. When was the last time you visited an actual fish market? There are a lot of different sights and smells to check out at a fish market. Bring along a pad of paper and pencil, see how many fish, crustaceans and oysters the kids can name.
Okay, I'm not suggesting that the kids go in for a sampling, but a trip to a winery or brewery isn't all about drinking. The making of wine and beer is an ancient art. The steps required to turn grapes into wine are fascinating - even to little ones. Go for a wagon ride tour of Small Talk Vineyards, get outside and learn in the fields of grapes. Learn about the science of brewing beer firsthand from the craftspeople who make it everyday. Toronto's Amsterdam Brewery offers public tours every Saturday.
If you have never visited a restaurant supply store, then you are in for a treat. The shelves are stocked with a lot more than simple sheet pans and pots. Take your time exploring each aisle and use your imagination to come up with the function of some of the unusual objects and machinery. Spend some time at Nella Food Equipment's gigantic 55,000 square foot store.
Do a little research and find out when and where your local farmers' market is. Thankfully, farmers' markets are popping up in almost every community across the country. Give the kids some cash and let them pick out an interesting new fruit or vegetable. Chat with the farmers, they always have great recipe ideas. Don't forget to sample the good, farm fresh eats. Toronto's historic St.Lawrence Market is one of the oldest farmers' markets in Canada and makes a great place to visit for a market adventure.
Community gardens are blooming in parks, schoolyards and green spaces everywhere. Local citizens are finding creative ways to use vacant green spaces to grow food for the community. Don't have a green thumb? No worries. Take inspiration from the community gardeners back to your own backyard or balcony.
How do they make cheese, chocolate and ice cream? Pick your food of choice and head on a factory tour. Check out all the interesting equipment that is used in the making of your favourite prepared foods. Interested in visiting a factory that only offers school tours, reach out to your child's teacher - maybe a class foodie field trip is in order. Tour the Chocolate FX facility in Niagara, Ontario and enjoy an introduction to chocolate making.
Not quite ready for the full farm experience? Plan a day trip to a pick-your-own farm. Most pick-your-own farms are super kid friendly, with outdoor play spaces, corn mazes and wagon rides. Find out the easiest way to pick an apple from a tree, or a berry from a bush. Fill up a basket and then head home to do some baking and enjoy the fruits of your labour. Visit www.PickYourOwn.org to find a complete listing of u-pick farms across Canada
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