BLUE CHEESE COOKIES

this butternut squash recipe is one i've been wanting to try for a couple months. it takes a long time but turned out soooo good. the recipe comes from the blog All Things Vegetarian Herein. The blog has since been deleted, so I'll post the recipe here:

* 2.5 pound butternut squash
* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
* salt
* 1 quart vegetable broth
* 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
* 1 medium onion, finely chopped
* 3 medium garlic cloves, minced
* 1.5 cups Arborio rice
* 3/4 cup dry white wine
* 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for passing at the table
* 1 tablespoon minced fresh sage leaves
* Freshly grated nutmeg (just a pinch or so)

1) Put an oven rack in the middle position and heat the oven to 450 degrees F. Poke 8 or 10 holes in your butternut squash and put it on a baking pan. Bake until tender, about 50 to 55 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool before handling. Once cool, halve the squash and scoop out the seeds and strings with a spoon and deposit them in a medium saucepan. Use same spoon to scoop out the flesh into a bowl and mash with a spoon until smooth. (You should have 1.5 to 1.75 cups smashed squash.)

2) Add the vegetable broth to the seeds and strings scrapings from the squash in the medium sauce pan. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain the broth and discard the squash scrapings. Measure the broth, and add enough water to make six cups. Return to sauce pan, bring to a simmer, then turn off the heat and keep covered.

3) Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When the foaming subsides, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the rice and cook for one minute, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Add the wine and cook, stirring frequently, for two minutes, until the wine nearly evaporates. Add 1 cup of the broth and cook, stirring frequently, until the rice absorbs the liquid. Continue adding the broth in 3/4 cup increments, stirring very frequently until the rice is creamy (not soupy) and soft but still a bit al dente, about 25 minutes. (usually, you won’t use all of the broth)

4) Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in 1 tablespoon butter, the squash, sage, and the cheese. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the butter melts, at least 1 minute. Add salt to taste and a few gratings of fresh nutmeg. Serve immediately with more freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano at the table.

Butternut squash cannelloni with pesto and parmesan accompanied by fresh greens and a slice of the best garlic bread I have ever eaten in my life.

This was my first course in Cornstore Cork's Octoberfest 2011 celebration also known as their Food & Beer Evening #FoodBeerEve which was a vegetarian substitution for the menu offering of Slow Roast West Cork Pork Belly with sauerkraut, candied walnut, and apple puree. This course was served with Innis & Gunn oak aged beer which is aged in Jack Daniels barrels (once charred for JD, the barrels can only be used once, but scotch and certain beer makers value these barrels for their rich flavors and use them to age their own creations).

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