Dish of the Day: Squash(ed) Tomato Soup

The season is definitely changing here at The Olive Hill.  The days are warm and bright, but the evenings are becoming chilly, and we are starting to think about thinking about lighting the fire.  We are less busy outside, with no more pruning to be done until after the turn of the year, and so we are firming up plans for the renovations inside the house.We also seem to have acquired a new animal to feed, as we have a mummy wild boar joining us in the veg plot for breakfast and dinner most days.  This is rather frightening, as she has no fear whatsoever of us, and is not even the tiniest bit bothered about the dogs, who are absolutely determined to kill Cinzia, as we have named our wild boar.  Although Cinzia is obviously old and arthritic, and clearly lame due to having been shot on her haunch at some time in the past, our neighbours never tire of telling us that she will surely tear us from limb to limb if we get between her and her little wild boarlets.With the changing of the seasons, come new gifts from Lovely Indispensable Neighbour, and so today I made this yummy autumn soup, as watching Cinzia munch her way happily through my windfalls, has rather put me off meat:Vegan Tomato and Squash Soup:Serves Six

• three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• three medium onions, finely chopped
• A medium sized squash, de-seeded and peeled, cut into chunks
• 1.5kg of tomatoes (ours were a mixture of under and over-ripe as the tomato season is nearly over), roughly chopped
• half a red chilli pepper, de-seeded and finely chopped
• Vegetable Stock to cover
• salt and pepper to season

1. Gently fry the onions in a large saucepan, until they turn opaque.
2. Add the squash, and continue to fry off over a gently heat.
3. Add the chilli pepper, fry for one minute
4. Add the tomatoes, and fry until they start to bubble, and release their juices.
5. Throughout this phase, keep turning the vegetables, in order that they cook evenly, and don't stick to the pan.
6. Bring the mixture to a slurpy boil, then add your stock so that the mixture is covered.
7. Bring to the boil, season, cover, and simmer gently for 45 minutes to one hour, by which time the squash should be thoroughly tender.
8. Remove from the hear, and either eat immediately, or, according to your preference, liquidise, whizz up in a food processor, or mash the mixture to a chunky soup.

Eat with crusty bread, and enjoy the view ...