Joan Dye Gussow, Mary Swartz Rose Professor Emerita and former chair of the Columbia Teachers College, Nutrition Education Program, lives, writes, and grows organic vegetables on the west bank of the Hudson River. Long retired, until this year she continued to teach her popular nutritional ecology course at TC every fall.

Her service includes two termsJoan Dye Gussow, Mary Swartz Rose Professor Emerita and former chair of the Columbia Teachers College, Nutrition Education Program, lives, writes, and grows organic vegetables on the west bank of the Hudson River.  Long retired, until this year she continued to teach her popular nutritional ecology course at TC every fall.

A long-time advocate of relocalizing the food system, her books include The Feeding Web: Issues in Nutritional Ecology, The Nutrition Debate, Chicken Little, Tomato Sauce and Agriculture, and This Organic Life: Confessions of a Suburban Homesteader, a book based on the lessons learned from 30 years of working toward growing her own.  In November 2010, Chelsea Green published her latest book, Growing, Older, A Chronicle of Death, Life, and Vegetables.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients

• 2 pounds butternut squash, halved, and seeds removed 

1 teaspoon salt 

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus a pinch 

3 tablespoons olive oil 

1 tablespoon Madras curry powder 

3/4 cup chopped onion 

1/2 cup chopped carrot 

1/4 cup chopped celery 

1/4 cup minced ginger 

1 tablespoon minced garlic 

4 1/2 cups vegetable stock 

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves 

2 tablespoons butter, room temperature 

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric 

8 sprigs cilantro, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 

1. Place the squash, cut side up, on a parchment lined sheet pan. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Turn over, to the cut side down, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Place in the oven and roast until the skin is golden brown and the squash is tender, about 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. When cool, scoop the squash out of its skin and set aside until ready to use. 

2. Set a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and once hot, about 30 seconds, add the curry powder and toast, stirring continuously for 1 minute. Add the onions, carrots, celery, ginger and garlic to the pan and sauté, stirring occasionally, until lightly caramelized, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the vegetable stock and reserved squash to the pan and bring the stock to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook the soup for 15 to 20 minutes, or until all the vegetables are softened. 

3. Remove the soup from the heat and process with an immersion blender (or in batches using a bar blender) until smooth. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. Add the chopped cilantro.