Butternut squash risotto. This is one of my fall and winter staples, and it’s probably the last time I’ll make it until November. I cook the squash (or whatever the vegetable might be) in the oven until it’s five minutes away from being done. Meantime, I heat up a bowl of chicken broth infused with a little saffron. I cook some onions on the stove before adding rice, sometimes wine, and then one ladle of broth after another. As the rice is just beginning to get soft, I add the squash and let it steam while the risotto continues to cook. It appears that I’m making something like risotto alla zucca, although in the recipes I’ve seen you start out by cooking squash and onions in the pan and then add the rice.

(Photo: Cape Henlopen State Park, Delaware.)

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