I’m a little late to the party with February’s Food Revolution Ambassador Monthly Challenges but I’m here! One of the tasks we were given this month was:
Embrace wonky veg! Jamie has been on a mission to cut food waste and get wonky veg back into our shopping basket. This month, we want you to embrace all leftover, wonky veg out there and try to reduce your food waste. Find out more here.
I’m not sure where in Toronto I can buy officially wonky veg but I do know that the fruits and veg that come in my Front Door Organics box every fortnight look real. You know, like fruits and veg used to look years ago before everything on display had to be perfect. They’re gorgeous in their imperfection – it’s the best kind of mail day when the box is delivered! In the winter, I always make sure there is some kind of squash in my box because it’s such a versatile vegetable but quite often, I end up with more than I can use…
Recently, instead of just using my squash for soups (admittedly my favourite use of squash), I’ve been adding it to stews and chilis with great success. It gives dishes like these some substance – adding both taste and making for a more substantial dish. I’ve been a fan of sweet potatoes in chili for a while now (Jamie has an awesome recipe too!) and butternut squash works a treat too! I’ve added some wheat berries for some extra chew – this is a very substantial meal (passes the “playground duty” test (aka: does it keep me warm when it’s -40˚C out!?) with flying colours!
Vegetarian chili with roasted butterbut squash and wheatberries.Vegetarian chili with butternut squash and wheat berries
Ingredients
Instructions
The squash is a beautiful bright addition to a chili which is especially welcome in the dark days of the #neverendingwinter too!
So there you go, next time you have a glut of squash, don’t just think “soup” – the possibilities are endless. Roasting the various squash that come my way is a great way to cut back on food waste, make our meals go further and add some brightness to our winter days.
I think Jamie would approve, don’t you?
I do like the look of it and its substantiveness would make it a lovely winter dish… with a glass of red.
Yes it’s a fine winter dish!
Needless to say, I’m a fan. And once again, it’s all about the garnish. I didn’t get to my veggie chilli this weekend so tonight it’s on. You can bet there will be pepitas!
This one made me think of you Monica 🙂
This was really nice, hearty, and flavourful. For a carnivore such as Mr. Neil to not miss the meat, is high compliment indeed. 🙂
And indeed Geoff, paired this with a heart red. We went with a Syrah from the south of France…but not the Rhone. I went west, to Languedoc. The earthy (in this case) and peppery notes were a wonderful match, and it was bold enough to match the flavours…even with a bit of added heat.
It’s so hearty that you really don’t need the meat…
I am a huge fan of butternut squash and use it seemingly all the time. I keep a tub of roasted chunks in the freezer so I always have some.
i love Neil’s wine notes here too!
That’s a GREAT idea Helen!