Roasted Acorn Squash with Quinoa Stuffing

I went back and forth about what to write here today. Do I talk about all the stuff that's going on in our lives... the work, the house projects, our upcoming travels? Do I talk about the presidential election? Or the weather, which has been pretty fall-like recently (though today it's in the 70s and feels like summer... what's the deal with that)? I'm a little too tired to talk about any of these things, so I'm going to stick with this recipe (I'm sure you'll hear more from me about all of those other topics later on). This is one of those recipes that just popped up out of nowhere. I usually neglect winter squash when we get it from our food-coop, but for some reason I decided to put in the oven immediately. I made a mad rush to see what we had to pair with it and, thankfully, found all the ingredients for a quick filling. This is one of those dishes that makes the house smell wonderful, with those sweet, nutty aromas from the baking squash and the scent of sautéed onion and garlic and rosemary simmering on the stove. I'd forgotten just how delicious roasted squash can be. It's a recipe I'll be returning to again quite a few times this winter. 

Roasted Acorn Squash with Quinoa Stuffing

Yield
2 servings

Ingredients
For the roasted acorn squash
1 acorn squash, tops trimmed and the squash cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed
Olive oil
Salt

For the Quinoa Stuffing
1/2 cup red quinoa
1 cup veggie broth
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 lb white button mushrooms, stems removed and sliced thinly
3 celery stalks, sliced
1 small white onion, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
2 teaspoons parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon
Olive oil
Salt
Black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Rub squash with olive oil and season generously with salt. Place, cut side down, on the pan bake for 30 minutes, until fork tender and golden brown. 

While the squash is roasting, prepare the quinoa. Add the veggie broth to a pot and bring to a boil.  Stir in the quinoa, cover and reduce heat to medium low.  Simmer until all the veggie broth has been absorbed, approximately 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet set over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms, chopped celery, and chopped rosemary and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Add quinoa to the mixing bowl with the cooked vegetables. Stir to combine. Add dried cranberries, parsley, and lemon zest. Stir to combine. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste.  

Spoon filling into the cut side of the acorn squash.

Polenta Pizza with Heirloom Tomatoes and Summer Squash (Featuring Parrano Cheese)

This post is sponsored by Parrano Cheese. Thank you for supporting the brands that make A Thought For Food possible.

I'm a bread lover. A pasta lover. A bagel lover. A pizza lover. If it's carbs, I dig it. Which may be why I don't keep a lot of these things around the house, because I have very little self-control. Once in a while, I'll pick up a loaf of bread. We eat pasta maybe once every two weeks. And I leave my bagel and pizza consumption for trips down to New Jersey. By omitting them from our diet (or eating them only occasionally), it forces me to approach my meals creatively.

Which brings me to this pizza. I had initially thought about a more traditional preparation, but decided to brainstorm some alternatives. This was my first attempt at making a polenta crust and I have to say that I'm kind of hooked. No, it's not pizza pizza. But it does hold up surprisingly well and it is incredibly satisfying. The Parrano cheese not only seasons the crust, but it helps it hold its form. It also worked beautifully on top of the pizza, melting to perfection. And I loved how the nutty notes remain pronounced even after it’s baked. I kept the rest of the toppings fairly basic to highlight the seasonal ingredients, especially those heirloom tomatoes, from our most recent CSA delivery (I just can’t get enough of those colors).

To see where you can get your hands on some Parrano (so you can make this pizza), check out their store locator. 

Polenta Pizza with Heirloom Tomatoes and Summer Squash

Yield
2 pizzas (serves 6-8)

Ingredients
3 cups water
1 cup corn grits/polenta
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parrano cheese
1.5 tablespoons olive oil

1-2 (depending on size) heirloom tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
1 small zucchini or yellow squash, sliced into thin rounds
1 cup grated Parrano cheese
6 fresh basil leaves
Salt
Black pepper
 

Directions
In a pot, bring water to a boil. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder and oregano to water. Stir in polenta and reduce heat to medium. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and cover for 3 minutes. Transfer cooked polenta to mixing bowl. Let cool for five minutes. Mix in 1/2 cup grated Parrano cheese.

Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil onto a large rimmed baking sheet. Spoon cheesy polenta onto baking sheet and spread into 10" round with a thickness of about a 1/2 inch. Cover baking sheet with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator. Let chill for an hour to let the polenta set. 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  Remove baking sheet from the fridge. Using a spoon, spread 1 teaspoon olive oil over the top of the polenta crust. Bake the crust for 15-20 minutes, or until it begins to crisp around the edges. Remove from oven and top with sliced tomato and squash. Sprinkle 1 cup of Parrano cheese over the pizza. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.  Bake for another 10-12 minutes or until the cheese has melted and begins to bubble. Remove from oven and add fresh basil before serving.

Arugula, Pickled Radish and Sorghum with Peas and Ricotta Salata

After almost two weeks of being sick, Eric and I are finally back to normal. We caught some nasty bug while we were vacationing with my family in the Berkshires. It all started with the nieces having colds. You know, nothing major... typical kid stuff. But then it hit my sister, and my dad, and my brother-in-law. We thought we could protect ourselves with gin and tonics and whiskey, but on the last day, we both started in with scratchy throats, which turned into raging sore throats, sneezing, coughing... the whole thing. Just delightful.

Our time out there wasn't a total bust. Since we were feeling pretty good for the majority of the trip, Eric and I took a few outings. A highlight was the Fields Sculpture Park at the OMI Arts Center in Ghent NY. A 35 minute drive from Great Barrington, the sculpture park covers nearly 150 acres and has art scattered throughout.  We spent a few hours just walking around, taking funny pictures of ourselves with a variety of sculptures. It was a great time and while we loved it, we thought our nieces would really have a blast. We'll have to bring them next year.

Between travels and being sick and work, I've had little time to cook. There was a while when we were living off of ramen soup doused with sriracha, but I really missed consuming refreshing salads (it's just too hot out there for soup). This recipe is something I've been enjoying for lunch on these 90+ degree days we've been having. It's got texture and bright flavors and, oh, cheese (because, in my opinion, all salads must have cheese). For those unfamiliar with sorghum (I had only had it in its sweet syrup form), it's a gluten-free grain that cooks like quinoa but has quite a bit more bite to it. 

Arugula, Pickled Radish and Sorghum with Peas and Ricotta Salata

Yield
2 servings

Ingredients
1/2 cup sorghum
2 cups water
Kosher salt
2 cups arugula leaves, washed
3 large radishes, sliced into thin rounds
1/2 cup cider vinegar
3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
Ricotta salata
Fresh mint leaves
Black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil

Directions

In a saucepan, bring salted water to a boil. Stir in sorghum, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, for 40 minutes, until tender. Strain of any remaining liquid. Transfer to a bowl and let cool for 10 minutes. 

While the sorghum is cooking, place the sliced radish in a bowl and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Toss to coat. Cover with cider vinegar and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

Add arugula to a large bowl. Add the cooked sorghum and drizzle with 2 teaspoons olive oil and season with 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Toss to coat. Platter the arugula and sorghum and top with pickled radish, peas, and shaved ricotta salata.

Drizzle some of the pickled radish brine over the salad. Garnish with mint leaves and season with freshly ground black pepper.