Recipe - Winter Squash And Pear Soup

1 Butternut; (1 1/2pound)
squash (see note)
1 tablespoon Butter
1 small Onion; coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon Minced fresh ginger
One fourth teaspoon Freshly grated nutmeg
1 One half cup Pareve "chicken" broth
1 md Pear; peeled, cored and
cubed
One fourth cup Dry white wine
One fourth cup Whipping cream; optional
Salt
Ground white or black pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut squash lengthwise in half. Place, cutside
down, on baking sheet. Bake until very tender when pierced with fork, about
1 hour. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Meanwhile, melt butter in
medium pan. Add onion and ginger; saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add
nutmeg, broth and pear. Set aside. When squash is cool enough to handle,
remove seeds. Scoop out 2 cups squash meat and add to pan (any additional
pulp can be used in another dish). Process contents of pan in blender or
food processor until pureed. Return to pan. Add wine and heat through. Add
cream and season to taste with salt and pepper. Yield: 4 cups; 2 generous