Butternut Squash Risotto with Sage and Gorgonzola

What does one eat in the winter? One of my focuses is on local food, which really can't help but be seasonal. Which means no tomatoes or peaches these days. One of my very favorite books, Animal Vegetable Miracle, is all about local eating and growing. I read it at least once a year for inspiration. I was so struck by the concept of denying myself the foods which are not local or seasonal, building up the anticipation for their final arrival so that I can truly appreciate and luxuriate in their quality and freshness.

So I've been trying to eat more locally, easy in the summer and fall, and a wee bit more challenging in winter. My garden right now is looking pretty sad. The tomatoes are blackened skeletons dangling rotten and rock-hard green fruit (like the ones harvested for travel). The one zucchini plant that actually thrived in the fog-shrouded summer has given up the ghost. The beans are yellowing and are putting out flowers, but pollenation is a sorry business at this time of year and new beans wither on the vine. Summer is long gone. No more tomatoes for me. I will wait patiently and munch on the dehydrated slices we put up over the summer when the round sweet red and purple and gold fruits covered every surface in the kitchen, and build up my anticipation.

What does one eat right now? Think about Thanksgiving, most of those are seasonal. Winter squashes make an almost nightly appearance on my table. As squashes, they need to be grown in warm, sunny, summery weather, but can keep for months. Greens can be grown all year, especially with the help of coldframes in heavy wintery climates. Kale, collards and brussels sprouts are even improved with frost, which makes them tender and sweet. Last year I planted peas in January or February and was surprised at how they grew stronger and faster in cold weather than in warm. Since I'm partly Irish, I've gotta give my love to potatoes as a winter veggie. I think I could eat potatoes every day. Fried, mashed, baked, stuffed, granineed, layered in a casserole or quiche. Yum. And they are so affordable! All the root veggies are in season or can be preserved to be eaten in winter when little else is available. In California, we have an abundance of lemons right now, especially the incomparable Meyer. Consequently, my meals have been loaded with cruciferous veggies (see the previous post), squash, sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, apples, pears, nuts, cheese and bread. Because that's what's plentiful right now.

My new favorite recipe is for butternut squash risotto, which I made for Z.'s birthday. It was not only a hit with the ladies; even Mr. Seasonality liked it! It is savory, slightly sweet and is a really elegant vegetarian option for a main course that is quite filling.

Butternut Squash Risotto with Fresh Sage and Gorgonzola

1/2 butternut squash, peeled and cubed

1 small shallot, minced

1 1/2 tblsp olive oil

1 c Arborio rice

1/4 c white wine

6 c stock or broth (I like Imagine's No Chicken-Broth or Free Range Chicken Broth)

20-30 leaves of fresh sage, finely chopped

1/4 c crumbled

salt and fresh pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450. On a greased baking sheet or parchment covered sheet, bake the squash for 15-20 minutes or until tender. In a small pot, heat the stock on medium-low, keeping it hot at a very low simmer. While squash is baking, heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add shallot and cook for a minute or until shallots are transluscent and soft. Stir in the rice, coating the rice grains with the oil and toasting them lightly. Add the wine and stir until the liquid is absorbed. Ladle about a cup of broth into the rice and stir until liquid is absorbed. Keep doing that, stirring small amounts of broth into the rice until it is fairly dry. When you have about 1 or 2 cups of liquid left, add the roasted butternut squash and chopped sage into the rice and stir around. The squash should melt into the rice slightly, but still generally retain it's shape and tenderness. It shouldn't disappear completely. Add the last of the liquid to finish cooking the rice. The rice should be tender and cooked through, but I find risotto to be best when slightly al dente. Finish the dish by stirring in the gorgonzola and serve hot. Top with more gorgonzola if you so desire.