As a former flight attendant, I know first hand how long-range flying ravages your skin. I watched my complexion transform from glowing Maxfield Parrish model material to Hartz rawhide chew in the dozen hours it took to get from LAX to Melbourne. Sure, it was nothing a gallon of water, black-out drapes and a tub of Creme de la Mer couldn’t fix, but your perishable produce doesn’t have that luxury.
Chilean grapes are great if your in Chile. But by the time they get here, they’ve lost their supple tautness and squandered valuable fossil fuel that could’ve been saved for that Bucket List trip you’re planning to Madagascar. 
Why not ditch the foreign fruits and vegetables and replace them with the gorgeous seasonal produce from your local certified farmer’s market? The butternut squash in these pictures comes from the Wednesday market in Tustin on the vacant corner of El Camino Real and 3rd. These creamy-colored pendulous beauties came from the Sweredoski Farms (of Bell Gardens) stand. The distance they travelled to get to my plate was 28.69 miles according to Mapquest. Here is a simple recipe I made up after experimenting in the Galley Girl test kitchen.
Butternut Squash Soup with Garlic and Ginger
4 medium sized butternut squash
1 eight ounce can chicken broth
olive oil
1 tsp. salt
fresh ground pepper
2 T. fresh ginger root
4 T. butter
1 T. honey or agave nectar
4 cloves garlic
Cut squash lengthwise, scoop out seeds. Brush or drizzle generously with olive oil and place in a Dutch oven. pour can of chicken broth into Dutch oven and put lid on. Roast in 400 degree oven for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Cut skin from squash, cut into cubes and put in blender with half of broth liquid, reserve other half. Mince garlic cloves. Saute in olive oil. Add garlic, butter, honey, ginger salt and pepper to blender and puree until velvety smooth. Add rest of broth, salt and pepper for desired consistency and taste. Heat and serve. The flavors in this soup really mature on the second day.
Visit the Orange County Farm Bureau website at orange.cfbf.com or call (714) 573-0374 for a listing of certified farmer’s market locations.
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