CHEF LOGAN COX’S REFRIGERATOR GREEN ‘CURRY’ WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND SHIITAKE

Yield: Feeds about six

Chicken soup for the soul, sure, whatever — comfort food finds many forms, and chef Logan Cox’s take on green curry lets you know you’re still alive. It can also be made vegetarian or vegan, and would certainly be nice served with some rice. Cox, of Beacon Hill’s hit restaurant Homer, says it’s called“Refrigerator”because “Basically, you can use this curry paste and broth with whatever vegetables you have lying around the pantry or refrigerator — pretty much every vegetable can work.” INGREDIENTS FOR THE

“CURRY” PASTE: 10 peeled garlic cloves 3-inch piece of ginger,

peeled and thinly sliced 1/2 yellow onion, sliced 1 tablespoon ground

coriander

1 tablespoon ground

mustard seeds 2 jalapeños, de-seeded

1/2 cup oil (neutral flavored,

like canola)

Zest of 3 limes (preferably

microplaned)

1/4 cup peanuts (or

substitute almonds) 1 large handful mustard greens (or substitute arugula or kale)

1 bunch rough-chopped

cilantro (stems and all!) 2 tablespoons honey

Place all ingredients in the blender and blend on high until relatively smooth, agitating with a small ladle to ensure you get all the bits chopped up fine! If needed, add a little water to blend thoroughly.

FOR THE SOUP:

1 butternut squash, peeled

and diced

1/4 cup of oil

1 1/2 quarts vegetable or

chicken broth

2 cans coconut milk 6 squirts of fish sauce

(optional)

10 squirts of soy sauce (or

coconut aminos) 1 carrot, thinly sliced 1 1/2 cups shiitake

mushrooms, sliced 5 lacinato kale leaves,

sliced

1 poblano pepper, sliced FOR GARNISH

POSSIBILITIES:

Bean sprouts

Cilantro and mint leaves Toasted peanuts

Chopped scallions

Sambal

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place diced squash on a sheet tray, season with salt and a couple tablespoons of oil, mixing to coat. Bake for 30 minutes until soft and a little crispy on the outside. Let cool to room temperature.

2. Place a large soup pot on the stove and turn the heat to high. Add 1/4 cup of oil and wait for two minutes. Add the curry paste and stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to ensure that the curry paste doesn’t stick or burn. Cook for 4 minutes until all the oil has turned bright green. Add chicken stock and continue stirring with spatula for one minute to deglaze. Add coconut milk, fish sauce and soy sauce, and stir. Add carrot, shiitake, kale and poblano pepper. Cook for 5 more minutes. Add the cooked squash, stir and season with a little salt if it needs it!

3. To serve, ladle that bastardized “curry” into a bowl and top with as little or as much garnish as you’d like!