Recipe - Puree Of Yellow Squash Soup

1 pound Yellow crookedneck squash (
Approx 6 small ones)
2 cup Chopped onion
1 Clove garlic, cut or sliced up
2 tablespoon Butter ( I ommitted this
Altogether)
One half teaspoon Dried thyme (or 2 tsp.
Minced fresh thyme)
One half teaspoon Dried sage
One half teaspoon Dried basil ( or 1 to 2 tbsp
Minced fresh basil) ( I used
2 Tbsp
Fresh basil I am glad I
Did!)
1 teaspoon Salt
1 tablespoon Unbleached white flour ( I
Bet wheat flour would be
Even better)
One half cup Dry white wine
2 cup Milk ( I used 1% WestSoy,
Vanilla)
Freshly ground black pepper

optional topping:

2 tsp olive oil or butter ( I sauteed the bell pepper strips down the
McDougall way with water) 1 small red bell pepper, cut in thin strips 1
clove garlic, minced minced chives, (I use green onion tops) Directions: in
original form but with my comments.

1) Cut the end off the squash, and peel if the skin looks looks suspicious
in any way. Then cut the squash into One fourth inch slices and set aside. (I used
my cuisinart) 2) In a large saucepan or a Dutch oven (I used a nonstick
pan because I ommitted butter), begin sauteing onions and garlic in
*butter* over medium heat. After about 5 minutes, add squash, herbs, and
salt. Stir, cover, and continue to cook about 10 more minutes. 3) Gradually
sprinkle in the flour, stirring constantly. Continue to cook and stir over
low heat about 5 minutes. 4) Pour in the white wine, stir briefly, cover,
and let simmer 10 to 15 minutes. (Note: The alcoholic content of the wine
dissipates with cooking, and the taste of the wine diminishes gradually. So
if you let if cook a little longer at this step, you will get a more subtle
result. Just be sure to stir everything up from the bottom from time to
time, so it won't stick or scorch.) Remove from heat, and allow the soup to
cool until it's cool enough to puree. 5) Puree the soup with the milk in a
food processor or blender, and return it to a kettle. At this point, you
may choose to strain the soup through a fine strainer or a sieve to get a
smoother texture. (I don't think this is necessary at all) Adjust the
seasonings. Add black pepper to taste. 6) Heat gently just before serving.
7) While the soup is heating, prepare the optional topping.Saute the bell
pepper and garlic in olive oil or butter until just tender. Spoon a little
bit of this into each steaming bowl of soup, and sprinkle with minced
chives. (my watersauteed bell pepper strips worked just fine)

Prep time: 45 minutes, Yield: 4 to 6