Tada...

So I did as I had promised. I finally made butternut squash farro kinda sort of rissito.  This was my first time making farro, which is an Italian grain. It is like wheat berries (what flour is made from) but cooks pretty fast, only taking around 15-20 minutes. It tastes like wheat but at the same time not because it is farro.

Our garden in over flowing with butternut squash because it was my bright idea to grow it this year, not thinking it would be a crawling type plant that just grows where ever it wishes, like a pumpkin does. But hey that works out for me because I happen to love butternut squash! More for me (and a heck of a lot cheaper).

This recipe has a few componts to it. I happen to love to cook and I do not mind any of them one bit, but those of you who happen to not want to spend hours in the kitchen I suggest you skip the carmelizing of the onions and just saute them before you add the farro to the pot, but you have to roast the squash it adds soo much flavor and roasting food is so good. And now my recipe I came up with (serves 2 or 4 as sides):

Roasted Butternut Squash Farro

1 large butternut squash
1 tablespoon oil
salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/2 an onion, carmelized
3/4 cup farro

1 teaspoon oil
1 3/4 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, peeled and chopped (put 1 tablespoon aside)
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped (feel free to add more but I didn't have much on hand)
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

To roast the squash:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and cube the squash. Toss with the 1 tablespoon of oil, the salt and pepper, onion, coriander, and oregano. Place on pan, and roast for 1 hour.

To carmelize the onion:
Add 1 teaspoon oil to a pan, heat add onion, turn heat to medium low. Stir occasionally and also add splashes of water when the bottom of the pan turns brown.

To make the farro:

First rinse the farro, drain. Heat a pot with a lid (I used my dutch oven) with the 1 teaspoon of oil.

Add the farro and let the toast for 2 minutes.

Add the onion and some salt and pepper. (I wanted to add some wine but well I didn't have any good white wine on hand.)

Add in 3/4 cup of the stock, let that boil and become absorded into the farro. (I cooked the farro as if I was making rissito, but you can also cook it by add the farro and water at the same time boiling it for 15 to 20 minutes then draining off excess water, but that was not what I was going for in this recipe.)

Once almost all liquid is absorded, add in a 1/2 cup more of the broth. This time lower the heat to medium. Let it cook, then add and other 1/2 cup of the broth.

Once all the liquid is just about gone, add in the 1 tablespoon of nutritonal yeast.

Mix, then add in the roasted squash.

Add in the parsley, and all but the 1 tablespoon of the hazelnuts. Mix it all up. Let it cook for another minute or two so the flavors come together. Serve topping with the extra hazelnuts.

I loved it! I also made some for my mom, she didn't love the nuts in it, but said it was ok, and both of my brothers tried it. They didn't really comment on it, so I guess that means it wasn't bad or great, just ok to them. Heh, I loved it and that is all that matters!

I have been craving carrot ginger soup for the past week, so I finally made myself some...recipe coming soon! (Like on Thursday!) Promise!! Plus a cracker recipe! Can't wait, but until Thursday!