Fall Food

Farro and Roasted Squash Pilaf

Fall is here in New Hampshire.  The leaves are gone, except for the oak and a few stubborn maples.  Cloudy days can be really gray and dreary.

We joined a CSA (community supported agriculture) this summer,  a local farm- Heron Pond Farm- sold shares and half shares and those members get a weekly supply of veggies and some fruit.  Along with all the regular summer veggies, I received some that I would not buy on a normal basis, like beets and squash.  I remember my mom eating pickled beets, but as a child they made me gag...  Squash always seemed to be served mashed with marshmallows on top, yuck.  So I was faced with a dilemma either I learned to make recipes that I liked with these new to me vegetables or throw them out.  And since throwing them out was a waste I began looking for recipes.


This recipe comes from the November 2010 issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray
(this is how it is in the magazine...I made some changes)

Farro and Roasted Squash Pilaf

Serves 8 (or 4 really hungry people)

1 cup dried cranberries

1 butternut squash (about 2 pounds) peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes (about 5 cups)

3 1/2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

salt and pepper

1 1/2 cups farro

2/3 raw pumpkin seeds

3/4 cup thinly slice scallions

2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped

*   *   *   *   *   

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  line a baking sheet with parchment.  In a small bowl, soak the cranberries in 1 1/2 cups hot water until slightly softened, about 40 min; drain.

2.  In a large bowl, toss the squash with 2 tablespoons olive oil, the lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.  Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and bake tossing once, until lightly browned, about 30 minutes; let cool.

3.  Meanwhile, in a pot of boiling salted water, cook the farro until just tender, 15 minutes,  Drain and let cool.

4.  In a medium skillet, toast the pumpkin seeds over medium heat until puffed and pale brown, about 5 minutes; let cool.

5.  In a large bowl, combine the farro, roasted squash, cranberries, pumpkin seeds, scallions, thyme and the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil; season with salt and pepper.

My Changes:
I did not soak the cranberries, I used Craisins, added them at step 5
I used cashews instead of pumpkin seeds.


Here are some pictures of the process:

Peel the squash and remove the seeds

fresh lemon juices smells wonderful!

Squash ready for the oven

Farro is a grain much like wheat berries, cooking time is less than with wheat berries

Yummy scallions

Thyme

I really wish this was scratch and sniff, it smells sooooo wonderful!!

Roasted squash goodness, the lemon juice really adds a nice flavor.  What you can't  hear is the smoke detector going off because the lemon juice burned...

Yummy Goodness

This would be a great addition to Thanksgiving dinner!!