An Autumnal Stuffed Squash to Celebrate a Bountiful Harvest
A seasonal comfort dish.
Nothing says autumn like a good gourd. However, some gourds are better than others, and while everyone’s sipping their pumpkin spice lattes, those in the know are indulging in the most esteemed harvest vegetable: squash. This week, the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts chef Dave Letford has provided NUVO with a stuffed squash recipe that celebrates autumn’s bounty. Just don’t ask for extra whipped cream.
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
For the carrot purée:
½ head garlic
½ large yellow onion
2 tablespoon olive oil
3 large carrots
2/3 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 bay leaf
1 cup oat milk (3 grams sugar or lower)
Salt and pepper to taste
For the stuffed squash:
1 cup wild rice, cooked
2 medium delicata squash (kuri or kombucha squash can also be used)
1½ cups mushrooms chopped (approximately 5–8 whole mushrooms)
8 sage leaves
¼ cup slivered almonds
½ cup pumpkin seeds
¼ cup dried cranberries
3 cups carrot purée (recipe above)
Method
For the carrot purée:
Chop garlic and onion to a medium dice. Allow to sweat in olive oil over medium-low heat. Lightly season with salt and pepper and cook until the onion is translucent.
Peel and chop carrots and cut to quarter-sized coins, then add to onion and garlic.
Deglaze with white wine and add cinnamon, nutmeg, and bay leaf. Allow wine to reduce by half.
Add oat milk to cover and simmer to reduce oat milk while the carrots cook (about 20 minutes).
Once carrots are tender, put everything into a blender and purée until smooth. Split carrot purée into 1-cup and 2-cup portions to combine with stuffing ingredients as well as to coat the roasting pan.
For the stuffed squash:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season with salt. Cook wild rice for 30–45 minutes, checking its texture after 30 minutes. Rice should be chewy yet tender. Drain excess water. Set aside.
Cut squash lengthwise from top to bottom. Chop mushrooms to match the size of the almonds and finely chop the sage leaves.
In a mixing bowl combine wild rice, mushrooms, sage, slivered almonds, pumpkin seeds, cranberries, and 1 cup of prepared carrot purée.
Spread the remaining carrot purée on the bottom of a baking dish.
Generously scoop the wild rice mixture into the cavity of the squash halves.
Place on remaining carrot purée in a baking dish. Cover baking dish with tinfoil.
Bake in oven at 350°F for 30 minutes. Remove tinfoil and continue baking for 30 minutes until lightly browned.
