Inspired by pumpkins

Last week, I spent an afternoon stomping around H.G. Haskell's farm off Pa. 100 in Chadds Ford, Pa., looking at his pumpkin patch.

Haskell grows more than 3,000 pumpkins every year and supplies the giant pumpkins used in this Thursday's Great Pumpkin Carve in Chadds Ford. About 70 carvers show up at this annual event on the grounds of the Chadds Ford Historical Society and turn 100-plus pound pumpkins into all kinds of objects of art.

It gets crowded - 10,000 to 12,000 visitors are expected during the three-day event - but it's very cool. (Story comes out Wednesday.)

The pumpkin patch got me thinking about pumpkin dishes and inspired me to make a pumpkin-mushroom risotto.

The first time I had pumpkin risotto was in Umbria. Talk about autumn in a bowl! I doubt the Italian chef used canned pumpkin, but that's what was in my pantry. It works fine. Do NOT use canned pumpkin PIE filling.

Pumpkin-mushroom risotto

You also can saute thinly sliced fresh button mushrooms or criminis in butter and olive oil separately and use them instead of porcini mushrooms. (Skip the soaking step, if using fresh mushrooms, and use more stock.)

1 1/2 cups water
4 1/2 cups chicken stock or store-bought low-sodium broth
1 cup dried porcini mushrooms
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
About 1/2 cup canned pumpkin (do not use pumpkin pie filling)
Sprinkle of nutmeg
3/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine water and 1 cup stock in saucepan and heat until hot. Pour mushrooms and 1 tablespoon oil in a bowl and pour hot liquid over them. Let soak for about 30 minutes.

Lift porcini out of soaking liquid, squeeze excess liquid bakc into bowl, and rinse well to remove grit. Coarsely chop porcini. Pour soaking liquid through a fine sieve lined with a paper towel into a large saucepan. Add remaining cups of stock and bring to a bare simmer.
Melt 2 tablespoon butter with remaining oil in a saucepan over moderate heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Add white wine and stir until absorbed. Add 1/2 cup stock and cook at a strong simmer, stirring constantly, until stock is absorbed. Add rosemary, pumpkin and nutmeg. Stir well. Continue adding stock, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and letting each addition be absorbed before adding next, until rice is tender and creamy, about 18 to 20 minutes. Taste to make sure the rice is tender. (There will be leftover stock.)
Stir in mushrooms. Take off heat and add remaining butter, cheese, salt and pepper, stirring well. If necessary, thin risotto with remaining stock.

Serve immediately with additional cheese and a drizzle of good, extra virgin olive oil on top. Makes 4 servings.