Last night over a bowl of soup,  

Orange-Butternut Soup

I make this soup every Fall, and its very easy to change up. The recipe below incorporates our orange theme, but this soup is just as good 'Island' style, with coconut milk and curry powder, or southwest style, with smoked chilies and crema fresca. (Serves 4)

1 medium butternut squash, cut into chunks

1 cinnamon stick

1 medium orange, peeled (reserve peel) and juiced (reserve juice)

Fresh cracked pepper, sea salt

Olive Oil

4 tbsp butter (divided)

1 can Campbell's chicken broth

1 small white onion

1 garlic clove, chopped

½ c. heavy cream

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp cayenne pepper

3 tbsp sugar, divided

Cut squash into chunks. Place 2 tbsp oil in the bottom of an oven safe pan. Add cinnamon stick and ½ of the orange peel to pan. Add squash, and sprinkle with salt/pepper. Roast in a High-Broil set oven for 10-15 min, or until squash is fork tender. Remove from oven. Place squash in blender with butter and blend, adding chicken broth in portions, to smooth out mixture.

In a soup pot, add 2 tbsp olive oil + 1 tbsp butter and place over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and cinnamon stick (the one that roasted previously) to pot and cook on medium-low until onions are translucent.

Pour in the Squash mixture and stir. Add orange juice, cream, cumin, cayenne pepper, 2 tbsp sugar and reduce heat to low.

Meanwhile, julienne remaining orange peel. In a small saucepan, combine sugar and 1 tsp water. Add Orange peels and cook down.

Plate soup and top with candied orange peels.

Orange-Fennel-Avocado Salad

This is a simple salad that comes together in minutes, tastes light and fresh and forgives the fact that it's still in the 90's outside. If you've never had Fennel, its flavor is a lot like anise (remember tea of anise estrellado growing up?) and if you don't know anise but you're from South Florida, you've probably had ouzo (yeah, I saw you at Opas…), which is distilled with anise. The flavor plays nicely with orange and the firm Navel orange texture pairs well with crisp fennel and smooth avocado. (Serves 4)

1 ½ tbsp white wine vinegar

Fresh cracked black pepper / Sea salt to taste

¼ cup olive oil

1 orange, peeled and de-pithed

1 fresh fennel bulb (3/4 lb), stems discarded

1 firm, medium sized avocado, peeled and pitted

Fall Sanga-rita

Sanga-rita (so named after one of its drinkers mispronounced the word Sangria) is kind of famous in Pompano Beach; this is a seasonal version of the drink, featuring oranges and cinnamon. If you're daring, substitute the cinnamon for a handful of anise stars and the 1 cup of Brandy for ½ c. Anisette and ½ Brandy. Serve chilled with "Frozen Orange Chunks" (recipe included) and remember to enjoy responsibly!

1 jug of table Zinfandel (you know the kind, bottom shelf at Publix…)

1 can of frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

½ cup Orange Liquor (not the cheap stuff)

1 cup Brandy

2 Oranges, Sliced (circular slices) + 1 orange, cut in half

3 Cinnamon Sticks

In a bowl, mix ½ Orange juice concentrate with 1 cup water. Use this mix to fill an ice tray to create "Frozen Orange chunks. If you're doing the Anise-flavored version of this recipe, discussed in the intro, place one anise-star into each ice cube mold. Freeze.

Pour all the Zin (except for 1 cup) into a large glass pitcher. Take the reserved 1 cup and place in a small sauce pan. Squeeze the juice of the halved orange into the pan (no seeds, please) and then place the used orange shells into the pan with the wine along with the 3 cinnamon sticks. SIMMER ON LOW for 5-10 min.

In the mean time, add remaining orange juice concentrate to the wine and mix well. Add Brandy and Orange Liquor. Remove wine from stove and toss orange shells. Carefully pour this liquid and the cinnamon sticks into the Pitcher. Mix well. Toss in sliced oranges and chill.

When ready to serve, add the Frozen Orange Chunks to the pitcher, this will keep your drink cool without diluting the flavor.