There are few Autumnal culinary trifectas as ubiquitous and delicious as Butternut Squash and Sage Risotto, (and few better ways to enjoy one of the best vegetables of the season.) For the uninitiated, risotto is not actually the name of the grain, but rather a way of preparation and presentation, traditionally an Italian alternative to a first course of pasta. Arborio rice is used mainly for its starch content, since making risotto is much more of a technique than preparing other rice. There is no “cover it, set a timer and walk away” when making Risotto. You are in it from beginning to end!

Because of its starch content, cooking arborio rice slowly, adding warm liquid in batches and with more or less constant stirring, helps develop these starches and gives risotto its unmistakably creamy texture.

Once you master the technique of making risotto, you can substitute a myriad of herbs, cheeses and veggies into your variations.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. First, let’s collect our mise en place, (the french cooking term meaning ’all in place’ and the best habit to develop when following these recipes.)

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

1 C Arborio rice
32 oz chicken stock
1/2 small onion
1 medium butternut squash
1 bottle of Underwood Pinot Gris
salt/pepper
curry powder
olive oil

STEP ONE: The Butternut Squash

Peel and dice 2 cups of Butternut Squash into 1/4 inch cubes. Separate into two 1 Cup piles.

Squash Pile 1:
Place squash and 1 TBS salt into a small saucepan. Cover with water and simmer until soft, about 15 minutes. Drain, mash with a fork or potato masher, and set aside in a warm place.

Squash Pile 2:
Get a thick-bottomed pan very hot, add 2 TBS olive oil and just when it starts to smoke a little, add the second Cup of diced squash, seasoning liberally with salt, pepper and a few pinches of curry powder. Allow the pieces to pick up some color in the pan, but do not burn. Once cooked through—about 10 minutes, place on a paper towel to drain excess oil. Set aside.

STEP TWO: The Risotto

Prep:
Peel and dice half of a small onion. Set aside.
Take 5 sage leaves, roll them into a tube and slice into very fine ribbons. Set aside.
Pour the chicken stock into a pot and warm, but do not boil.

Risotto:
In a heavy-bottomed pot, add 2 TBS of oil and sauté the onion on medium heat for 3-4 minutes to soften but not color. Add the cup of Arborio rice and sauté, stirring constantly for 5-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. When the rice is evenly translucent, pour in 1/2 Cup of Underwood Pinot Gris. Continue to stir and cook until all of the wine is absorbed by the rice. At this point, begin to add warm stock, one or two ladlefuls at a time, continuing to stir, and thus developing the starches in the rice. Continue adding stock until risotto reaches your desired texture.

FINISHING THE DISH:

At this point, adjust seasoning, stir in the mashed squash and fresh sage until evenly incorporated. Gently stir in half the roasted squash squares. Evenly distribute among the bowls and add the rest of the roasted squash. Garnish with some fresh or fried sage leaves.

Bon Appétit! and keep those #pinkiesdown

Photography, Text and Recipe by David L. Reamer.  (@dlreamer)

Are you part of the Alison Roman craze? She is a recipe creator and cookbook author who writes for The New York Times and Bon Appetit. A couple of her recipes, including a certain viral cookie and stew, have made her a little bit Instagram famous. Her second cookbook, Nothing Fancy, comes out next week and we are among the many who are excited about its upcoming release. Alison’s ethos of enjoying time with friends and keeping things simple echo our beliefs here at Union Wine Co. You don’t need to have your pinkies in the air to eat and drink quality food and wine.

#pinkiesdown

With the weather turning into true Oregon Fall (nonstop rain) we’ve been craving a simple autumn dessert. Perfect for curling up on the couch with a blanket and glass of Underwood Pinot Noir. So we searched her dessert archives and found a recipe for this Spiced Oat and Pear Blondie. It tastes just like Fall and is best served warm straight out of the oven.  

 *Recipe was written by Alison Roman and published at bonapetit.com

INGREDIENTS 

Topping
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
⅓ cup old-fashioned oats
¼ cup (packed) dark brown sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½” pieces 

Blondie
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into ½” pieces
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup old-fashioned oats
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1¾ cups (packed) light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups ¼” cubes cored peeled firm pears (such as Bosc or Bartlett; about 2 large) 

RECIPE PREPARATION 

Topping
DO AHEAD: Combine flour, oats, brown sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Using your fingertips, rub in the butter until moist crumbs form and no dry flour remains. Cover and chill. Keep chilled. 

Blondie
Preheat oven to 350°. Coat a 13x9x2” baking dish with nonstick spray; set aside.

Stir butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, swirling occasionally, until melted, deep golden brown, and dark brown bits form at the bottom of the pan (do not burn), 7–8 minutes. Pour into a medium bowl; let brown butter cool slightly. 

Whisk flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl; set aside. Whisk brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla in another large bowl until the mixture is smooth. 

Slowly stream brown butter into brown sugar mixture, whisking constantly; whisk until well blended. Add pears to dry ingredients; toss to coat. Stir into brown sugar mixture (batter will be thick). Using a spatula, scrape batter into prepared pan. Smooth top. Scatter chilled topping over batter. 

Bake blondie until golden brown, edges pull away from sides of pan, and a tester inserted into the center comes out almost clean, with a few moist crumbs attached, 30–35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let blondie cool completely in pan.