Next up in line was the red kuri squash I bought, which was supposed to have a sweet flesh and taste kind of like a pie pumpkin. It was big enough to make 2 dishes–a pie (next up in the post list) and a faro dish. 

Why faro? The husband and I both like it for its chewy texture and its ability to pick up flavor from anything you make. In past years, I’ve made a butternut squash risotto using forbidden/red rice or  purple rice, so Faro was a natural next step.

Ingredients

• 1/2 of a red kuri squash
• 1 package Trader Joe’s quick cook faro (you can use any other kind…1 cup)
• 1 sweet onion
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup coconut milk (I happened to have some in my fridge so in it went)
• 1 pat butter
• 4 sage leaves
• 1 T garlic paste (chopped garlic would work just fine)
• salt & pepper to your taste

The method

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 and toss in the squash (you can halve it first and scoop out the seeds if you wish. I roasted the seeds while the oven was on)
2. Chop onion and caramelize it in some olive oil
3. Add garlic paste.
4. Add in the faro and toast it for a few minutes (careful not to burn it)
5. Add the vegetable stock and cook the faro over low heat for 10 minutes.
6. When the squash is soft enough to cut/scoop out, cut half of the squash into cubes and add it into the faro mix. Add in coconut milk and cook until the squash has softened.
7. In a skillet, melt the butter and let it brown. Add in the sage leaves and fry til crispy.
8. When the faro mixture is cooked, add salt & pepper, and a few of the sage leaves and butter from the pan. Stir. Top the dish with the remaining sage leaves