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A Year in the Vegetarian Kitchen by Jack Bishop is a really great resource if you are interested in vegetarian cooking.  Jack Bishop is the executive editor of one of the best food magazine’s around - Cook’s Illustrated.  The book is broken down by the four seasons.  I love that each season is it’s own section, it really helps people new to cooking to understand the importance of seasonal ingredients.  I don’t know about you, but as the weather changes my cravings for food change too.  As fall comes here in New England I look forward to stews and soups, baked and roasted dishes, and warm from the oven desserts.  For a particularly hearty and delicious fall or winter dinner try Jack’s Winter Squash Risotto with Sage and Parmesan (on page 354-355)  You can see the recipe below with comments.  I am a fool for anything butternut squash and this risotto doesn’t disappoint.  It’s rich in butternut flavoring because of a little trick that Jack uses.  Jack suggests you take the insides from the squash and fortify your vegetable stock and what a difference it makes!  The other really wonderful thing about this recipe is roasting the squash, it really develops the flavor fully.  I can’t say enough good about this dish.  If you like butternut squash and risotto, then you can’t go wrong with this recipe.

This cookbook has everything - pizzas, salads, soups, pasta dishes, tacos, etc.  If you have a vegetarian in your family or you just enjoy having all vegetable meals every now and again, I highly suggest you check this cookbook out.  Many of Jack’s recipes are sure to get you out of the kitchen in 30 minutes or less. 

Without further ado, here’s the Winter Squash Risotto with Sage and Parmesan Recipe (from A Year in the Vegetarian Kitchen by Jack Bishop)

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds winter squash, halved, seeds and strings removed with a spoon and reserved
• 3 Tbs.  unsalted butter, 1 Tbs. melted
• 1 quart vegetable broth
• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 cup Arborio rice
• 3/4 cup dry white wine (you can substitute more broth, if you don’t care for wine)
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for the table
• 1 Tbs.  minced fresh sage leaves
• Freshly grated nutmeg

Recipe Steps

• Move an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 450 degrees.  Place the squash, flesh side up, on a rimmed backing sheet.  Brush the squash with the melted butter and sprinkle with salt to taste.  Bake until tender, about 45 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and set the squash aside.  When cool, use a spoon to scrape the flesh from the skins into the bowl.  Discard the skins and lightly mash the flesh with a spoon until smooth.  (You should have 1 1/2 cup to 1 3/4 cups.)
• Meanwhile, place the squash scrapings in a medium saucepan.  Add the vegetable broth and 1/2 tsp. salt and bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the flavor has been extracted from the squash seeds and strings, about 20 minutes.  Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer to extract as much liquid as possible.(Do not wash the saucepan.)  Return the squash broth to the empty saucepan along with enough cold water to make 6 cups.(You’ll probably have to add 2 cups water.)  Bring the squash broth to a simmer.  Turn off the heat and cover to keep the broth warm.
• Heat 1 Tbs. of the remaining butter and the oil in a heavy bottomed medium saucepan over medium heat.  When the foaming subsides, add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, add the rice and cook for 1 minute.  Add the wine and cook, stirring often, until the wine nearly evaporates, about 2 minutes.  Add 1 cup of the hot broth and cook, stirring frequently, until the rice absorbs the liquid.  Continue adding the broth 3/4 cup at a time and stirring often until the rice is creamy (not soupy) and soft but still a bit al dente, about 25 minutes.(You probably won’t use all the broth.)
• Remove the saucepan from the heat and vigorously stir in the roasted squash, cheese, sage and remaining 1 Tbs. of butter.  Keep stirring with the wooden spoon until the butter melts, about 1 minute.  Adjust the seasonings, adding salt and nutmeg to taste.  Serve immediately, passing more grated cheese at the table.

Enjoy!!!