WILLIAMS SONOMA COM RECIPE RECIPES

Steps:

• Saute the vegetables. In a frying pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute longer.
• Cook the soup. Put the squash chunks in the slow cooker and sprinkle with the brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper. Pour the contents of the frying pan over the squash and add the broth. Cover and cook on the high-heat setting for 3 hours or the low-heat setting for 6 hours.
• Finish the soup. Using a blender or food processor, working in batches, process the squash mixture to a smooth puree. Return the soup to the slow cooker to keep warn until serving. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls, garnish with a dollop of the sour cream and chives (or parsley) and serve.

Steps:

• In large non-metallic bowl, mix together dry yeast, 2 cups warm water, and 2 cups all purpose flour and cover loosely.
• Leave in a warm place to ferment, 4 to 8 days. Depending on temperature and humidity of kitchen, times may vary. Place on cookie sheet in case of overflow. Check on occasionally.
• When mixture is bubbly and has a pleasant sour smell, it is ready to use. If mixture has a pink, orange, or any other strange color tinge to it, THROW IT OUT! and start over. Keep it in the refrigerator, covered until ready to bake.
• When you use starter to bake, always replace with equal amounts of a flour and water mixture with a pinch of sugar. So, if you remove 1 cup starter, replace with 1 cup water and 1 cup flour. Mix well and leave out on the counter until bubbly again, then refrigerate. If a clear to light brown liquid has accumulated on top, don't worry, this is an alcohol base liquid that occurs with fermentation. Just stir this back into the starter, the alcohol bakes off and that wonderful sourdough flavor remains! Sourdough starters improve with age, they used to be passed down generation to generation!
• Use this starter to make the Sourdough Chocolate Cranberry Cake, and the Sourdough Chocolate Cake.