Roasted Garlic and Butternut Squash Soup

1 butternut squash (see pic at bottom of page)
1 head garlic
1 medium onion, chopped
1 apple, chopped
4 cups chicken stock
1/4-1/2 cup heavy cream (to taste)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste
shredded cheddar cheese for garnish
diced apple for garnish

Cut squash down the center and remove seeds.  Drizzle squash with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast skin side up at 400° for 30 minutes, or until squash is soft.  When the squash is cool, the skin will just pull off.

Cut the top off a head of garlic.  Add olive oil and salt and pepper and wrap in foil.  Roast garlic in the oven with the squash.
(I did all the roasting earlier in the day and finished the rest of the steps right before dinner.)

Saute onion and apple in olive oil until tender, about 5 minutes. Add chicken stock and bring it to a boil.   Add squash and roasted garlic cloves to the pot (just squeeze the garlic to remove the roasted cloves) and simmer for 10 minutes, or longer if you have time.  Next puree the soup with an immersion blender (or you can use a food processor) until smooth.  Last, add heavy cream, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste.  Add more heavy cream to reach desired consistency.

To serve, ladle soup into bowls and top with chopped apples, shredded cheddar cheese.