Community Corner
Thanksgiving Dinner Deposit: Belmont Savings CEO's Harvest Bisque
Have what Bob's having this Thanksgiving to start the holiday meal.
When you meet Belmont Savings Bank's CEO Bob Mahoney, the conversation usually is about loans, branches and deposits.
But bisque?
Yesterday afternoon, Thursday, Nov. 21, outside the in-store branch office at the Star Market on Mt. Auburn St. in Cambridge, the president and CEO was wearing an apron over his banker's suit as he took a hand-held mixer to a bowl filled with squash and chicken stock as he prepared his version of butternut squash soup, the same one he'll present to 15 guests on his Thanksgiving Day table.
"The secret ingredients are fresh lime and curry," said Mahoney, who has been at the helm of the bank during its recent surge in which the bank has nearly doubled in size in the past five years reaching $1 billion in assets in September.
Mahoney's cooking demonstration was part of the bank's holiday celebration that will include an employee turkey give away on Monday, making donations to various food pantries and being the lead sponsor of the 23rd Annual Turn on the Town Celebration on Thursday, Dec. 5.
And as for the bisque?
"It's very good. I like it a lot," said Ryan Mix of Watertown who came to shop with his fiancé.
Harvest Bisque (Butternut Squash Soup)
Ingredients- 1 pound butternut squash
- 5 cups of chicken stock
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 1 teaspoon of curry powder (mild or spicy depending on taste)
- 3/4 cup half and half
- 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Peel, seed and cut the squash into one-inch cubes. Place it in a heavy, four-quart pot with the chicken stock. Cover over medium heat until tender, about 15 minutes. Saving the stock, transfer the squash into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Stir in the aforementioned stock into the puree, mix and set aside in a large bowl or another pot.
In the same pot, melt the butter, stir in the flour and curry. Cook over medium heat, stirring until smooth. Slowly add the purred squash mix into the pot. Increase the heat to medium-high and stir until the soup thickens slightly. Reduce the heat and add the half and half. Do not allow the soup to boil from this point on. Add the lime juice, salt and pepper. Keep "soup" warm until ready to serve. Garnish with a lime slice. You can also served in a bread bowl. Serves four to six.
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