Acorn Squash Stuffed with Farro and Chorizo

I admit that I am a bit of a late bloomer. On many levels. I am late coming to the farro band wagon ( I will not admit to anything further unless you ply me with more wine. I like Californian blends, Malbecs, Pinots....).  If you'd asked me 6 months ago what farro was, this would have been my answer.  ( I'm a History major, yup, I know, went to college later to get a real occupation, no worries.) Apparently, this grain called farro had been a staple of the Romans and now, the Foodies.  I am not a Foodie (ignore the rumours, simply not true) but I do love this thing called farro.  It's nutty, chewy, delicious, and oh-so-easy to prepare.  It pretty much goes with everything and can be a good substitute for rice or any other side dish. If you like barley or wheat berries, I think you'll love farro. You can make a lovely risotto out of it, add it to salads, stews, casseroles, or use it as a great filling for acorn squash such as this recipe featured below. So versatile. I bought a whole entire bag so expect more farro recipes right here, lucky people.

Want to learn more about farro ( yes, I'm speaking to you History major!) or order some lovely organic, tasty grains?...click here for a link to the Anson Mills website.  Spoiler alert: Anson Mills stuff is amazing, slightly pricey if ordering from Canada, but still worth a try if you enjoy experimenting with quality grains. (PS- I am not a Foodie.)

Cheers!

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Farro and Chorizo
Adapted from Food & Drink magazine Autumn 2014

Serves: can be a main course for 6 people
Skill level: pretty easy, not much chopping involved
Time: a bit time consuming, not appropriate if you are time crunched, good to make for a lazy Saturday or Sunday night meal.


Ingredients

3 small acorn squash
3 cups of homemade chicken stock
1 cup of pearled or semi-pearled farro, rinsed and drained
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup of diced chorizo
4 shallots, finely chopped
2 tbsps garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme
1/2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
1/4 cup red wine
salt and freshly ground pepper
Thyme sprigs for garnishing


Directions

Preheat oven to 400 F. Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and pulp. Place squash, cut-side down onto a lightly oiled baking sheet. Cover tightly with foil. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until tender. Remove and set aside.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 F.  Combine the farro and chicken stock into a medium sized pot and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature to medium-low and simmer, covered, for about 30-40 minutes. Farro should be tender but still chewy. Drain off excess stock and place into a bowl.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until softened, about 4 minutes or so. Add garlic, thyme, paprika, chorizo, stirring for about 1 minute.  Add red wine (or another lovely alcoholic substitute) and simmer, stirring often, for about 2-3 minutes.

Scrape contents of skillet into bowl with farro. Season with salt and pepper.

Place squash cut-side up, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and scoop in the farro mixture. Bake, uncovered for another 20-25 minutes. Garnish with sprigs of thyme.