march, you tease
recipes to see us into spring: roasted garlic & squash risotto, french onion littlenecks, and split pea soup
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March is here! I look forward to the first of every month because Brightland always posts a fun collage of all the seasonal produce we get to unlock. It’s such a fun way to anticipate changes in the selection at the farmer’s market and always gets my ideas for recipes flowing.
Saturday, March 1, at least in NYC, pulled the most March-coded move of all-time. I woke up to forecasts of a 60 degree day and planned my outfit accordingly, only for the temperature to suddenly plummeted back to the 40s and then 30s by 5 pm. So rude.
Out of all 12 months, March is the biggest tease. As excited as I am for spring produce, I know better than to expect the selection at the farmers market to change overnight. Squash is still abundant as are winter root vegetables like potatoes, carrots, and onions.
Today’s recipes are inspired by this transitional period. I paired these last of the season ingredients with seafood– scallops and littlenecks– because I always gravitate more towards seafood during the warmer seasons… which I’m ready for more than ever. It’s my little way to celebrate the verrrrry beginning of spring while still savoring the winter produce that’s phasing out.
Squash and Roasted Garlic Risotto
I made this risotto with the sweet squash/ roasted garlic flavor combination in mind, but in the process developed a foolproof way to get the most magical risotto texture every time. ‘All’onda or ‘on the wave’ refers to the smooth, flowing texture of a perfect risotto and that’s actually what we achieved here. By roasting and then blending the squash and garlic, you create a luscious purée that gets added to the risotto, making for a perfectly creamy, not-at-all stodgy, flowing texture.
what you need
~1.5-2 Ib squash (I used delicata, but butternut, honeynut, or acorn would do)
1 whole head of garlic
1/4 c + 2 tbsp olive oil + more for drizzling
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
1.5 cups arborio rice
1/2 c dry white wine
6-7 cups high quality chicken stock, as needed
kosher salt
white pepper
what you do
preheat oven to 400 F. prep squash by slicing in half the long way (no need to peel) and scraping out the seeds using a spoon. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and place squash cut side up and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Use your hands to distribute the oil evenly, then flip so the cut side lies flat against the baking sheet.
Cut the top 1/4” off the head of garlic so the garlic cloves are exposed. You may need to make a few more slices at an angle to expose the cloves around the side. Place on a piece of aluminum foil and gather it around the bulb to form a little bowl. Add 1/4 c olive oil over top and 1/2 tsp of kosher salt, then scrunch the foil together at the top. Place on the baking sheet in between the squash. Roast for 45 mins.
Once the squash has 10 mins left, begin making the risotto. Melt butter and 2 tbsp oil in a large pot, then add onion and 1 tbsp kosher salt. Cook onion over medium heat until translucent and softened but not caramelized, 7-8 mins. In a separate sauce pan, heat up the chicken stock. Add rice and another tsp of salt to the onions and stir until the rice is fully coated by the mixture. Add white wine, and continue stirring until fully absorbed. Begin adding the chicken stock 2 ladles at a time, stirring constantly, and not adding more until the risotto has fully absorbed the liquid.
By this time, your squash and garlic should be out of the oven, cooled slightly, and ready to blend. Scoop squash flesh out, discarding the skin, and add to a blender. Squeeze garlic cloves out from the skin- they should be caramelized and slide out easily- along with ~2 spoonfuls of the leftover garlic oil. add in 1/4 c of warm broth and blend for 30 seconds until completely smooth.
I like to add in the garlic and squash puree to the risotto about halfway through its cooking, about 20 mins after the first ladle of chicken stock. If we wait until the end, the risotto might become overcooked with the addition of more liquid. By adding in halfway, we can continue to add chicken broth only until it is perfectly al dente. Once incorporated, taste and add more salt as needed. Then continue to ladle in chicken broth until rice is al dente.
I like to serve with seared scallops, though shrimp or your favorite fish would be lovely too.
PS. My favorite way to eat leftover risotto is pan-fried with eggs. Spread into a thin, even layer in a nonstick pan and cook over medium heat undisturbed for 10-15 mins. It should form a beautiful, crunchy, golden brown crust- similar to the prized socarrat at the bottom of the paella pan. Use a silicone spatula to lift the risotto out of the pan and flip, caramelized side up, onto your plate. Good Morning!!!!
brothy ‘french onion’ littlenecks
are you ever just wandering the farmer’s market when immediate recipe inspiration strikes? I often go to the market hoping this will happen, but instant inspiration is rare. this idea hit me when I stumbled upon these cutie rossa di milano onions. they are smaller and more of a pinky-bronze than your typical red onion and I was intrigued. the recipe below is what came to mind…
