A Little Comfort, Shared Around the Table

Comfort food is a real thing. Look at any culture, anywhere in the world, and it won’t take long to find stories about food and the ways gathering around a table builds community. Sharing a meal can offer comfort in hard times, in moments of stress and in the face of loss.

The author, during a photo shoot for a recent cookbook project. Credit: Donna Britt

Our community is experiencing unimaginable loss right now. From the moment I heard the news about what happened at Silver Rail Elementary, I found myself asking, “What can I do? How can I help?”

Whenever I’m at a loss, I head to the kitchen. Perhaps it’s my Southern upbringing that draws me there. From a young age, I learned that food was what you brought when someone was sick or when a family had lost a loved one. You showed up with chicken soup, a casserole or a cake. It was a simple, tangible way to say, “I’m here. I care. You don’t have to do this alone.”

The kitchen is still where I find comfort and a sense of grounding. The simple motions of chopping vegetables, kneading bread and stirring a pot of soup have a way of calming me. Sharing whatever I’ve cooked or baked with others brings an even deeper sense of connection.

I’m cooking a lot right now. I wish I could invite every single one of you over for dinner. Since I can’t, I’m sharing this humble recipe in the hope that you might make it for someone who could use a little comfort. A neighbor. A friend. A family connected to Silver Rail. Or perhaps just yourself, if that’s what you need right now.

Food cannot take away grief or make sense of a senseless tragedy. But sometimes a warm bowl of soup, a meal delivered to a doorstep or an invitation to sit together can remind us that we are not alone. Sometimes, caring for one another begins with something as simple as a shared meal.

Roasted Squash and Potato Soup

This simple, comforting soup is a lovely way to use fall squash. It’s creamy, gently seasoned with nutmeg and easy to adapt to what you have on hand. Make a pot for yourself, or double the recipe and share some with someone else.

Ingredients

1 acorn squash (butternut or another hard winter squash works, too)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2½ cups chicken broth, vegetable broth or water
1 cup milk, cream or half-and-half

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Place the halves cut-side down on a baking sheet and add a little water, about ¼ cup or less. Roast until tender when pierced with a fork, usually 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the size and variety of squash. Set aside to cool until easy to handle.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and butter in a large pot over low to medium-low heat. Add the onion, along with a generous pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Sauté until soft and translucent, stirring occasionally.
Add the sliced potatoes and cook with the onions until potatoes are softened.
Add broth or water. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cook until the vegetables are completely tender.
Scoop the cooked squash from its skin and add the flesh to the pot. Stir in the nutmeg and simmer for a few more minutes, allowing the flavors to mingle.
Remove the pot from the heat and blend the soup until smooth using an immersion blender. Alternatively, carefully transfer the soup in batches to a regular blender, following the blender manufacturer’s instructions for hot liquids.
Return the soup to the pot, stir in the milk, cream or half and half, and warm gently over low heat. Avoid boiling. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.
Ladle into bowls and finish with a little swirl of olive oil, if desired.

Serves 4 to 6.

A community that shows up

Bend is a tremendously generous community. In the wake of this tragedy, local food businesses and gathering places have been finding ways to help, whether by offering meals, raising money or simply making room for people to come together.

The following are just a couple of examples of that generosity.

Viaggio Wine Merchant is donating a percentage of proceeds this week to the Silver Rail Elementary PTO, which is supporting the school community. Check with Viaggio for details about its events.

The Hook & Plow is offering free kids’ meals at its Westside Yard location through Oct. 31 to help ease the burden on local families.

These gestures, like a pot of soup shared with a neighbor, may seem small in the face of such enormous loss. But they are reminders that care can take many forms, and that we don’t have to wait until we know exactly what to say or do before reaching out.

If you have the capacity, make a little extra soup. Drop off a meal. Check on a neighbor. Support a local business that’s giving back. Or simply sit with someone who needs company.

We cannot undo what has happened. But we can keep showing up for one another, one small act of kindness at a time.