Farro Stuffed Carnival Squash

I arrived home with a buzzing brain, happy heart and full tummy after spending a wonderful weekend at a blogger’s conference, Blog Brûlée, in Vermont (I'll share more about the fun conference in a few days). The weekend gave me my first taste of autumn this year. We bundled up in warm clothes, made s’mores and drank tea. 

I was welcomed back to Los Angeles on Monday with temperatures in the triple digits. And even though this Southern California weather is a far cry from autumn-like, I’m still just as excited to dive in to fall's seasonal produce. There’s something about fall recipes that feel so comforting, grounding, and settling. After the hustle and bustle of a busy, travel-filled summer, I’m looking forward to some time to cook in my itty bitty kitchen (which I love) and enjoy some comfort meals with friends and family.

Farro Stuffed Carnival Squash

I used to be completely intimidated of cooking with squash. But, once I was given a good quality chef knife, that all changed. If you don’t have a great chef knife yet, don’t fret! Just get ready to use a little elbow grease to cut it in half. Frieda’s Produce sent me a Carnival Squash last week and although I’ve never cooked with one until now, I’ll be running to the store soon to cook with one again! They’re so cute, festive and really fun to cook with.

Ingredients:

1 carnival squash

1/2 cup farro, uncooked

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 tablespoon water

pinch of salt 

pinch of pepper

1 tablespoon butter (or plant-based alternative)

drizzle of honey

Instructions:

1. Prepare and cook the carnival squash. Cut the squash in half, remove the seeds, and place cut side down in a cooking dish with 1/2 inch of water, cover with foil and bake for 45-60 minutes at 350 degrees, or until soft. Once the squash has finished baking, lower the temperature on the oven to 200 degrees.
2. Meanwhile, cook the farro according to the instructions on the package. Once cooked, allow the farro to cool completely.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the cooked farro, walnuts, cranberries, apricots, pumpkin pie spice, water, salt and pepper. 
4. Stuff the cavities of the cooked squash with the farro mixture. 
5. Add 1/2 tablespoon of butter (or plant-based alternative) to the top of the squash and place in the 200 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and drizzle with honey.

Enjoy, preferably with those you love!



For more fall-inspired recipes, you may want to check out these:

Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta with Sage, Brown Butter & Hazelnuts

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

White Bean, Leafy Green & Chicken Soup