Chef Kay.
I went to Botswana last fall for wildlife photography with Capricorn Safaris. At two different campgrounds in the Okavango Delta – Moremi and Khwai – we were very much in the wild. The camps were set up for us, then struck down, moved to the next site, and re-erected. It is a huge amount of work for the well-practiced staff who made it look effortless.
Capricorn Safaris has the most wonderful crew, led by Adam Hedges, the founder, and his son Shane — everyone was helpful, thoughtful, kind, and attentive to each camper’s needs. Among the staff were Chef Kay and her assistant, Susan. Every day, they put out wonderful meals for us: breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner. The food was simple, local, and incredibly flavorful.
When I say “simple,” that is written in the context of a modern kitchen. Out in the bush, Kay and Susan worked miracles in their camp kitchen. They baked fresh bread for both lunch and dinner — not to mention desserts and main courses — in rectangular Dutch ovens on an open fire. They did have a traveling gas stove, which made some dishes (likes soups and puddings) possible, as well as an cache of spices from which to work.
Chef Kay was very generous to share some of her recipes with me, and today I will share one with you: Curried Squash Soup. Kay used butternut squash; I made it using Magdalena Big Cheese squash (Cucurbita moschata) which is one of the oldest types cultivated squash. This is a very simple soup made using chicken stock, but it could easily be made vegetarian/vegan by using vegetable broth. As butternut squash is pretty much available year-round, you can enjoy this any time. (Oh, and the sweet little dish above with the hippo that I used for the pepitas? That was a salt cellar from one of the camps; it was a gift from my safari roommate, Greg.)
~ David
A Magdelena Big Cheese Squash from the Tucson Village Farm.
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Mimi Rippee
January 25, 2025 at 6:10 amWhat a gorgeous squash! I’ve never seen it before. And that salt cellar is adorable! Your presentation of the soup with the pumpkin seeds is out of Gourmet magazine! Exquisite!
Cocoa & Lavender
January 25, 2025 at 7:30 amThanks, Mimi — the squash is not only beautiful but so tasty. And the salt cellar is a wonderful memento. I have one with an elephant, too. Thanks for saying this looks like Gourmet magazine! That is going to keep me going all day!
angiesrecipes
January 25, 2025 at 7:07 amThat squash is HUGE! I love all sorts of pumpkins and winter squashes..so this is a perfect soup for me.
Cocoa & Lavender
January 25, 2025 at 7:32 amWinter squashes are fantastic, Angie — but I have a special place in my heart for this one.
Mad Dog
January 25, 2025 at 7:20 amThat looks like a very well stocked kitchen – amazing!
That’s a fabulous looking soup – I especially like the decorative pumpkin seeds.
Cocoa & Lavender
January 25, 2025 at 7:34 amI was in complete awe of those two women, Mad Dog. They performed miracles in the kitchen — and we both know how hard that would be in a really well-equipped kitchen! Thanks for your kind comment about the soup — the pepitas add a lot of flavor, as well as being a beautiful garnish.
Karen (Back Road Journal)
January 25, 2025 at 8:00 amNow that is my kind of soup, both in flavor and texture. I absolutely love the salt cellar. It is nice that you have another for the two of you to enjoy. I would love to have watched how they put up and took down camp, it had to be very interesting.
Cocoa & Lavender
January 25, 2025 at 9:02 amThanks, Karen — it is a wonderful soup. I, too, would have loved to see them break down and but up the camps — but we were out in the jeeps taking photos. It would be fascinating to witness.
Carolyne
January 25, 2025 at 8:26 amFabulous it’s -15C here…so soup is in order. I have never heard of that squash before, but never met one that I didn’t love.
Cocoa & Lavender
January 25, 2025 at 9:03 amIt is very much a locally grown squash — but any good winter squash (except acorn) will work well. I hope you can get down here eventually… but I know that isn’t likely. Stay as warm as you can!
Barb
January 25, 2025 at 8:35 amChef Kay and Susan sound amazing, as does the soup. I admire anyone who can cook four traditional meals a day on an open fire out in the wild! I’m not familiar with the Magdalena Big Cheese squash but I like the way it looks, very interesting. The soup is not something I would expect to be served in the African bush. It looks delicious and you have outdone yourself plating it! The little hippo salt cellar is so cute, and must be quite the conversation piece at a dinner party!
Cocoa & Lavender
January 25, 2025 at 9:06 amThe miracles that emanated from that kitchen were unbelievable. I was so impressed, Barb. The squash is locally grown and may be native to our region. It is so smooth and creamy. When I was teaching a class once using roasted cubes of squash, I accidentally overcooked it and needed to do another batch. Not wanting to waste it, we all ate the cubes. Even though very brown bordering on burnt, it was so creamy and wonderful. I will have to sneak in the photo of the elephant salt cellar, too.
Frank | Memorie di Angelina
January 25, 2025 at 9:05 amSounds delicious! And yes, not a dish I would have associated with the African bush! Anyway, I love me a little hint of curry in so many dishes. I used to use curry to flavor my after school bowl of rice or pasta back in the day. Yes, I was an odd child..
Cocoa & Lavender
January 25, 2025 at 9:09 amOdd? I would say discerning. It is funny that you and Barb don’t associate the soup with the bush, because squash (even though native to the Americas) is so prevalent in Botswana and South Africa. I imagine the curry came through the Dutch…
Carolyn J Niethammer
January 25, 2025 at 9:08 amLooks delicious and your pictures are divine. Experienced something similar on safari in Tanzania. On Christmas Day the chef roasted a turkey in a metal trunk and when that was done, baked a cake. I still have a small butternut squash that came up as a summer volunteer in my veggie garden. Perfect for this soup.
Cocoa & Lavender
January 25, 2025 at 9:10 amWow – Christmas Day in Tanzania! That would be so special, Carolyn. Isn’t it impressive what can be done in camp? I am so glad oyu like the photos. I hope you enjoy the soup with your homegrown butternut!
sherry
January 25, 2025 at 2:38 pmwhat amazing women to do all that cooking ‘in the field’. And that salt cellar/pig is fabulous (tho I did think salt pigs were never meant to be made of metal due to the eroding by the salt). But nevertheless – it’s fab!
cheers
sherry
Cocoa & Lavender
January 25, 2025 at 2:59 pmThey did unbelievable work. And they were so fun and cheerful. As for the salt cellar, I only known that you can’t put salt in sterling silver (or not for long) because it will pit the metal. I have a set of Sterling silver salt cellars that are washed with gold on the interior so they can be used with salt.
Eha Carr
January 25, 2025 at 3:09 pmWe make curried pumpkin soup very much the same way here in Oz – interesting to compare! My big ‘love’ of your today’s post are the photos, some repeats – some, as of the camp ‘kitchen’, new! There has to be competency galore to cook with such a small ‘pantry’ and on a three-burner stove and produce memorable meals! The salt cellar is a very special ‘memory gift’ indeed and, as usual, I really admire your talent in plating and photography. Oh, methinks ‘the curry’ came thru’ the influx of Indian offshore workers who have made such a huge difference to eastern and southern South African cooking!
Gerlinde de Broekert
January 25, 2025 at 9:25 pmI love squash soup, but I have never seen a squash like this. I will put a carrot in my soup the next time .
Inger
January 26, 2025 at 3:21 pmA perfect winter soup David! Mind boggling to think of fresh bread twice daily (etc) on safari! What a special trip!
Ronit Penso
January 26, 2025 at 5:01 pmThis sounds like a wonderful adventure!
Magdalena Big Cheese Squash is new to me. What an intriguing name!
The soup must be so flavorful and aromatic. The crunchy texture by the roasted pumpkin seeds is perfect. 🙂