Preheat oven to 400 F. Brush cut sides of squash with 1/2 teaspoon oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange squash cut sides down in a shallow baking pan. Prick sweet potatoes all over witha fork and roast with squash until very tender, about 50 minutes for squash and about 1 1/4 hours for sweet potatoes.

Cool vegetables ans scoop flesh from squash into a bowl. Peel sweet potatoes and add to squash.

Cook onion in remaining olive oil and 1 Tbs of butter (if using), with salt in a heavy pot over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in squash, sweet-potato, leek ginger, and 8 cups stock and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes.

Puree in batches in a blender (or use a hand wand.... CAUTION with blender and hot liquids), transfer to a clean pot. Bring to a simmer and if too thick, add more vegie broth. Season with salt and pepper. Finish with lemon juice and Honey.

CHIPOTLE SAUCE:
Remove seeds and stems from chiles. Toast chiles on hot skillet till just smoking about 2 min a side. Roast garlic on same skillet till the cloves give to the touch, about 4 minutes.

Remove seeds from chiles and add to 2 quart pan with water. Add onion, salt, and garlic then simmer uncovered till chiles are softened, about 30 minutes.

While chiles are soaking, finely grind cumin seeds with a mortar and pestle or electric coffee/spice grinder.

Transfer chiles and vegetables with a slotted spoon to a blender and puree with cumin and 1/4 cup chile water (save remaining chile water) until smooth. (Sauce should be thick but not stiff; add more chile water, 1 tbs at a time if necessary). Season with salt. If the resulting sauce is a bit bitter add honey. or poncillo sugar.

Serving Ideas : Serve soup with a dallop of the chipole sauce and some Good bread.
*Great addition is Chicken & Apple sausage. Grilled, sliced then added to soup upon serving.
*Crispy Maple Ham chunks would work very well here as well.

NOTES : I added the ginger and leeks to the browning onions and let them cook for a minute or so before adding rest of vegies. I made Homemade vegetable stock instead of canned.
I added 1 TBS Chicken Base & 1 cup of the vegetables from the home made Vegetable stock (with 3 cloves garlic).

From: Gourmet Magazine, November 99
Posted By: Pepper Fool
Post Date: November 99