As does my obsession with Marty Morrissey. (I'm kidding)
Not so much these carving pumpkins as the smaller, tastier varieties of squash that are used more frequently in cooking or baking. This autumn I've had pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin energy balls - I even have one roasting in the oven right this moment, destined for a soup bowl later on.
My favourite squash-based recipe of the season, however, has to be this delicious risotto I made a couple of weeks ago. It's so flavoursome and creamy, but because it's made with brown rice, it's a bit less stodgy than your normal risotto. It is quite time-consuming to make, but it's definitely worth it!
Cavolo nero, a cousin of kale, is black cabbage and has a delicious, slightly sweet flavour that works really well in this dish.
I bought the squash, cavolo nero, rice and thyme at Temple Bar Food Market, which runs every Saturday morning in Meeting House Square and is well worth taking a visit to some weekend (buy some of the Irish-grown apples - they are amazing)!
An autumnal haul (minus the bananas!)
Ingredients
- 1 squash
- 300g short grain brown rice
- 1 tray of mushrooms, sliced
- 6 stalks of cavolo nero,
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1.5 L vegetable stock
- 150ml white wine (optional)
- Juice of half a lemon
- 50g vegetarian Gran Moravia, grated (you can leave this out for a vegan risotto!)
- 1 handful chopped fresh thyme
- A handful of toasted, chopped pecans (optional)
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees. Slice your squash in half and drizzle in olive oil. Roast for around 15-20 mins until soft (depends on size of your squash!). Chop into bite sized pieces.
2. While the squash is roasting, bring a medium saucepan of water to the boil. Add the brown rice and cook for 15 minutes (it won't be fully cooked).
3. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil over a medium heat. Turn the heat down and add the onions and garlic. Fry for 2-3 mins, until softened.
4. Add the mushrooms and cavolo nero and fry for another 3-4 minutes.
5. Add in the rice and stir to coat it. If using the white wine, add it now and simmer, stirring, until the liquid has been absorbed.
6. Add half a cup of stock and simmer, stirring again, until all the liquid has been absorbed. Continue adding the stock this way until the rice is plump and tender - you may not need to use all of the stock. This will take around 30 minutes.
7. Once the rice is done, add the grated cheese, squash, chopped thyme and lemon juice and stir through. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Before serving, sprinkle some pecans on top. Enjoy!
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