Autumn time is also pumpkin time. Whether in the form of soup, roasted in the oven or simply as a decoration in front of the house: The different types of pumpkin are so versatile that you usually do not know where to start now. But pumpkin doesn’t just cut a fine figure on its own. With this autumn recipe for pearl spelt risotto with pumpkin and chestnuts, Biohotel Sturm shows how you can combine pumpkin deliciously and conjure up an exciting dish with just a few ingredients. And it’s seasonal, too!

Seasonal ingredients in autumn: Pumpkin and chestnuts

The Hokkaido pumpkin

But before we enter the kitchen, we briefly introduce you to the ingredients for the autumn recipe. You should try to buy all ingredients regionally. Especially now, this is often possible without much effort. Maybe you have a weekly market in your city or you keep your eyes open for street sales. 

Obviously, the main role is played by the pumpkin and additionally the chestnut. For the pumpkin we use a Hokkaido. You probably know the orange-red fruit from the supermarket. Yes, read that right: Botanically, pumpkins are called fruits. And if you want to know it even more precisely: pumpkins belong to the so-called armored berries.

Regardless of where you classify the Hokkaido botanically, it’s delicious either way. Unlike other types of pumpkin, such as the butternut, the skin of the Hokkaido becomes soft during cooking, so you can eat it as well without any problems. By the way, a very simple fall recipe is also roasted pumpkin. Cut the squash into wedges, place them in a baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and season with Mediterranean herbs, salt and pepper. Then it’s off to the oven. Just before the squash is soft, add the feta on top and let it bake. The simple autumn dish is ready.

Sustainability tip for pumpkin recipes

You don’t have to throw away the seeds of the pumpkin. Soak them in water overnight and separate them from the flesh the next morning. Then marinate them in a little oil and herb salt and put them on a baking tray in the oven. Bake them at about 180°C until the first ones pop (like popcorn). Then you can turn off the oven and use the residual heat. The healthy snack for in-between meals is ready.

The chestnut (or sweet chestnut)

The second star of our autumn recipe is the chestnut. The sweet, nutty aroma goes perfectly with risotto and pumpkin and makes the autumn recipe a real feel-good food. Starting in September, with a little luck, you can even find chestnuts in your area. But be careful not to confuse them with the normal chestnuts, which are inedible. You can recognize the edible variety by its green hull, whose spines are much softer than those of its counterpart.

The autumn recipe from the Biohotel Sturm

Autumn at Biohotel Sturm lets you forget the stress of everyday life. The colorful leaves in the vast forests of the Rhön Nature Park invite you to long walks or extended mountain bike tours. When you return, frozen but happy, a pearl spelt risotto with pumpkin and chestnuts is just the thing to warm you up again. We show you here how you can prepare this at home and inspire your loved ones: 

Pearl Spelt Risotto with pumpkin and chestnuts

The perfect recipe for cool fall evenings

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Course Main Course

Ingredients

  

• 1 small hokkaido pumpkin
• 200 g pearl spelt
• 1 l bouillon
• 50 g chestnuts
• 1 pc. leek
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 red onion
• chili
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• sugar
• maple syrup
• white wine
• barley miso

Instructions

 

Braise 1/2 pumpkin before

• Braise half a Hokkaido pumpkin (without seeds) in the oven at 160° for 30-45 minutes.

  Then let the pumpkin cool and peel off the skin.

  Then process the pumpkin into puree and season with salt, pepper and maple syrup.

Chestnuts

• Caramelize chestnuts in sugar. Then put on the side.

Further preparation

• Cut the other half of the pumpkin into cubes and the leek into rings. Then fry in a pan and season with salt, pepper, sugar and a little broth.

  Finely dice the onion and grate the garlic. Sauté everything together with some chopped chili in olive oil.

  Then add the pearl spelt. This must be lightly sweated and deglazed with white wine. Gradually add the broth.

  The risotto is ready when it is cooked soft.

  Finally, refine with barley miso. Arrange everything nicely and you're done! Enjoy your meal!

Keyword autumn, chestnuts, pumpkin, Risotto

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