Lamb & Wild Rice Stuffed
Koginut Squash

 

About this recipe:

Packed full of fresh ingredients from the garden, along with some beautiful locally raised lamb, this Koginut Squash dish has easily become one of our favorite fall dishes. It’s very versatile and easy to adapt to accommodate a variety of tastes and diets. The wild rice blend can be swapped with plain brown or white rice, bulgur wheat, couscous, farro, quinoa, or even orzo pasta. You can substitute the lamb with ground beef, turkey, or even plant-based meats (like Beyond). You can create alternate flavor profiles by swapping the sage and savory for a bit of ground cumin, and cinnamon, and Parmesan for feta for a more Middle-Eastern flair. Feel free to experiment and use your favorite ingredients!

Ingredients:

  • 1 Large Koginut Squash

  • 1/4 Cup Pine Nuts

  • 1/2 Cup Diced Onion

  • 1/2 Cup Diced Celery Root

  • 3-4 Cloves Garlic, Sliced Thin

  • 1 Tablespoon Minced Sage

  • 1/2 Pound Swiss Chard (stems removed, and roughly chopped)

  • 1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese (Coarsely Crumbled)

  • 2 Tablespoons Chopped Parsley

  • 1 teaspoon Summer Savory (or thyme or oregano), Minced

  • 1-1/2 Cups Cooked Wild Rice Blend (about 3/4 cup uncooked)

  • 1/4 Cup Whole Spoon Tomatoes or diced Roma Tomatoes

  • Ground Black Pepper

  • Kosher Salt

  • 1 Cup Chicken Stock

  • 1/4 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs

  • 1 Tablespoon finely grated Parmesan Cheese

  • 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

Thoroughly wash the squash. The skin will stay on, and becomes tender and edible as it cooks. Like you are carving a pumpkin, use a sharp knife to cut through the wall of the Squash about 1-1/2 inches around stem, and remove the top. Use a large spoon to scrape out the seeds and core. Using a fork, poke holes all over the inside of the squash, but try not to puncture the skin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place in a baking dish or pie plate (if the squash has trouble sitting upright, you can make a ring or nest out of foil to help prop it up). Leave the top off, but place it in the dish next to the squash, and roast them about 40 minutes, until the squash is tender and can easily be pierced with a fork.

While the squash is roasting, prepare the filling: In a dry saute pan, spread the pine nuts in a single layer, and toast over med-low heat until golden. Remove them from the pan and return it to the stove top. Add about 1 Tablespoon of cooking oil to the pan, as well as the Ground Lamb and a generous pinch of Salt and Pepper. Increase the heat to medium, and break up the lamb with a spoon as it cooks. Heat until all the pink has cooked out, but avoid browning the lamb. Use a slotted spoon to move the lamb to a large heat-proof bowl, and discard all but 1-2 Tablespoons of the rendered lamb fat.

Return the pan to the stove, and add the Onion. Cook until translucent (3-4 minutes), then add the Celery Root, Garlic, Sage, and Chard.  Cook until the chard is tender.  Add the cooked vegetable mixture to the lamb.

In a small bowl, combine the Panko Breadcrumbs, Grated Parmesan, and small pinch of Salt and Pepper, and a Pinch of chopped Parsley, and about a Tablespoon of Olive Oil. Mix to combine.

To the large bowl, add the toasted Pine Nuts, crumbled Parmesan Cheese, remaining Parsley, Savory (or Thyme/Oregano), cooked Rice, Tomatoes, and another healthy pinch of Salt and Pepper. Mix thoroughly.

Remove the Squash from the oven and allow it to cool about 5 minutes before stuffing it. Using a large spoon, scoop the filling into the squash, packing it down with the back of the spoon after each addition. Once half full, pour 1/2 a cup of the Chicken Stock into the filling, and continue to ass the filling until it is mounded over the opening of the squash. Slowly pour the remaining Chicken Stock over the filling, and top with the breadcrumb mixture, pressing down firmly to make them stick.

Return the stuffed squash to the oven, and bake until warmed through, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, and let stand 10 minutes. To serve, slice the squash vertically into Six wedges, like you are cutting a cake, Carefully rock each wedge away from the squash, place on a plate, and top with any filling that may have fallen away in the process.