Table Talk
The Joys of Fall
I'm in heaven. It's fall and I'm in heaven. I wait all year for September and October to finally arrive. I tolerate winter and summer. Spring brings longed for produce and flowers, which I love. But autumn is quite simply sublime. I love the contrast of warm days and cool nights. I love the harvest moon. I love the gold aspen against impossibly blue skies. I love the crazy array of colors in the trees. I love the crunchy leaves on the ground. I even love the smells--of decaying leaves, of wood burning in fireplaces, and of apple pie in the oven. The foods of fall have never been favorites, though I do love apple pie. But gone are the summer tomatoes. The farmers markets are all about melons and squash. Growing up, squash was served as a slimy side dish--over done, under-seasoned. I can remember gagging on it, which is a hard memory to shake. As an adult, my aversion to squash has slowly abated, as I've been able to try different squash cooked in a variety of interesting ways. Butternut squash has emerged as a favorite fall food: Butternut Squash Bisque, in Spinach Salad, in a risotto with mushrooms. Tonight, we'll have the risotto, in which I'll throw some diced prosciutto for an added bonus. It will give me a chance to use the fresh herbs from my garden, before the first frost hits:
Mushroom & Butternut Squash Risotto
Recipe By :Barb McKay
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:45
Categories : Side Dish- Grain
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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3 cups low sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup arborio rice
4 ounces crimini mushrooms -- coarsely chopped
1/2 butternut squash (1 1/2 pounds) -- halved, cleaned
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 leek -- cleaned and sliced
1/4 onion -- diced
1 clove garlic -- minced
1/2 tablespoon fresh sage -- minced
1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme -- minced
1/2 tablespoon fresh marjoram -- minced
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup parmesan cheese -- grated
Heat oven to 400. With a pastry brush, cover cut side of squash with 1 T olive oil. Roast for 1 hr or until just done but not mushy. Cool. Peel and cut into bite size pieces. Set aside. (Alternately, boil cubes of squash in simmering water until tender, about 15-20 min.)
Heat broth in medium saucepan to boiling. Turn to low and keep warm.
Saute leek & onion in 2 T butter until almost tender. Add mushrooms and saute until done, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute one more minute. Add rice and stir for 2 min. Add wine, stirring until absorbed. Add broth to rice 1 c at a time, stirring often, until rice is just tender and the mixture is creamy, about 30 minutes. Mix in squash, Parmesan and herbs. Season with salt and pepper.
Start to Finish Time:
"1:45"
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 251 Calories; 6g Fat (23.4% calories from fat); 13g Protein; 32g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 12mg Cholesterol; 521mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1 Fat.
