Oatmeal?

So this entry is a bit late, as it is no longer fall squash season, but I thought I'd post anyway. Risotto is a great cold weather dish, and although it does take a bit of time to prepare (45min-1hour), it is very simple to make. And you can riff on it as you please, adding any myriad of ingredients to adapt to the seasonality of your produce: asparagus, mushrooms, ramps, even strawberries in the summer!). I had leftover roasted butternut squash from a soup I had made, so I plopped the already seasoned chunks into the soffritto (see below). Presto, change-o, a beautifully colored, but more importantly, tasty rice dish. I used chicken stock for a bit more flavor, but you can certainly use vegetable stock to make it a fully vegetarian meal. In the picture, the risotto may seem a tad watery to American eyes (hence the oatmeal comment made by a friend of mine), but that's the way it should be! A bit soupy, to be eaten with a spoon. Buon appetito!