Farmer’s Market Recipe: Spring
The weather is warming up this week and it has me excited to go back to the Chico Farmers Market this weekend.
It got me thinking what’s currently in season in Chico? Here is what I found:
Squash | Spinach | Potatoes | Lettuce | Greens | Garlic | Cauliflower | Cabbage | Broccoli | Oranges | Mandarins | Kiwi
This is a recipe I’m excited to make with my farmers market spoils:
Creamy Orzo Pasta With Roasted Butternut Squash
Author: Julia Frey of Vikalinka
Ingredients
2 tsbp olive oil, divided
1 butternut squash Large, approximately 2 lbs
salt and pepper to taste
2 shallots
2-3 cloves garlic
10 leaves sage, divided or 0.5 tsp dried sage
500g/2.5 cups orzo
1 litre +250ml/5 cups vegetable stock plus 0.5 cup if needed
100g/1cup kale, chopped I used cavolo nero
50g/3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Peel, de-seed, and cut butternut squash into bite-sized cubes, season with salt, pepper, and 1 tbsp of olive oil or low-calorie spray. Arrange on a shallow pan, scatter 4-5 sage leaves throughout, and roast at 200C/400F for 45 minutes or until golden.
20 minutes before the squash is done, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a deep pan and saute chopped shallots, garlic, and remaining minced sage leaves over low heat for 2-3 minutes.
Add vegetable stock, salt and kale, bring to a boil, add orzo and cook according to package instructions for approximately 7-8 minutes until tender but al dente. Stir the orzo throughout the cooking process to release starch and to avoid it sticking to the bottom of a pan. If the mixture looks too thick add ½ cup of vegetable stock or water to maintain creamy, risotto-like consistency. Take off the heat and stir in Parmesan cheese, salt to taste, and top with roasted butternut squash.
Source: https://vikalinka.com/orzo-pasta-roasted-butternut-squash/