Farrotto with Acorn Squash and Red Russian Kale

Will surprised me with Sean Brock's new cook book, Heritage. We were looking through it and this recipe caught my eye. We even discussed where we could get Red Russian Kale from. Low and behold, the following week our CSA, Rosebank farms, had Red Russian Kale and acorn squash coming our way- talk about meant to be!

This recipe is like a risotto but with farro instead of rice (hence the name). It is creamy and delicious. It is the perfect fall "side item". You could even eat it as a main if you would like.

Sean is very specific about using the specified ingredients that he recommends. I wish I did, but I did not have the time to make the vegetable stock from scratch. I used Trader Joe's low sodium veggie stock which gave my farrotto more of an orange color.

Secondly, the farro he calls for is Anson Mills' Farro Verde. I called Anson Mills and long story short, they will not have any until March. Therefore, I bought farro from Whole Foods. The Farro Verde adds a smokey flavor that regular farro is without, but for now Whole foods farro will have to do!

I am not quite sure what this would have tasted like with the farro verde and the homemade vegetable broth but it was delicious and is something I will make again in the future!

The acorn squash are beautiful, aren't they?

Two different ways to separate the stems and ribs from the kale

The kale all prepped and ready to go in the dish

Warming the vegetable stock- Trader Joes' vegetable stock is orange in color, which gave my finished product an orange tint (unlike Sean's)

Roasted acorn squash

Pureed squash

Toasting the farro

Sautéing onions and garlic

Added the vino!

The onions, garlic and farro prior to adding the vegetable stock

Slowly adding vegetable stock bit by bit as it is absorbed by the farro

Kale, pureed squash and then butter added in

Don't forget the cheese!

finito!

Farrotto with Acorn Squash and Red Russian Kale

Ingredients

2 small acorn squash
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 cup + 2 quarts of vegetable stock
1 bunch of Red Russian kale (~ 3 lbs)
1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil
1 1/2 cups Anson Mills Farro Verde (not available right now, so I bought Farro from Whole Foods)
1 white onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, sliced paper thin
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese


Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the squash in half. Remove and discard the seeds, and rinse the squash under cold water. Place the squash cut side up on a baking sheet. Divide 2 tablespoons of butter between the halves and sprinkle with the salt and white pepper. Roast the squash for about 35 minutes or until fork-tender.

2. While the squash is roasting, prepare the kale. Remove the stems and ribs from the leaves. Make stacks of the leaves. Roll them into cylinders and cut them into thin ribbons. Wash the kale in cold water to remove dirt/sand. Drain and dry with paper towels.

3. When the squash is done, remove it from the oven. Pour the juices from the melted butter into a container. Set aside and let the squash cool enough to handle.

4. Warm the vegetable stock in a pot over medium-high. Once warm, remove 1 cup.

5. Peel the squash. Place the pulp in a blender and add the 1 cup of stock + butter from the cavities of the roasted squash. Blend on high to a very smooth puree, about 3 minutes. Set aside.

6. Turn the stock to low heat. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

7. Heat the canola oil in a medium ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is heated, add the farro and stir to coat with the oil. Place the skillet in the oven and toast the farro for 8 minutes (being sure to stir after 4 minutes). Transfer the farro to a bowl and set aside. Wipe the skillet clean.

8. Put the empty skillet on medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add 2 tablespoons of the butter and reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and cook until translucent (about 4 minutes). Add the garlic and cook until soft (about 2 minutes). Add the wine, increase the heat to high and cook until the wine is almost evaporated (about 2-3 minutes).

9. Add the toasted farro to the pan and stir to coat. Add 1/2 cup of the warm stock, reduce the heat to medium and stir until the liquid is almost absorbed. Continue cooking, adding 1/2 cup of warm stock at a time. Be sure to continually stir to prevent scorching. Don't add the stock too quickly. Be sure to add the next batch right as prior pour is almost completely absorbed. The farro grains will expand throughout the process. This process will take about one hour. The farro will look creamy like risotto.

9. Remove the farro from the heat, add the squash puree and kale. Stir until the kale is wilted. Put the skillet back on medium heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and cheese. Stir and serve!

Enjoy!

I served this with my Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic (also on the blog)