Just like annual plants, diet and health trends come and go. There seems to be something new every season. But as the food writer Beth Dooley emphasized in The Perennial Kitchen, truly sustainable and nutritious food contact methods exist for a long time. This book highlights that local, plant-based, seasonal, low-waste dishes are always important-an integral part of healthy and renewable cooking, and will never go out of style.

In her previous book "Winter's Kitchen: Growing Roots and Broken Bread in the Heart of the North" and her work as the distinguished chair of the Minnesota Institute of Sustainable Agriculture at the University of Minnesota, Dooley showed how to embrace the Midwestern United States The gift of nature is delicious and environmentally friendly. She won the James Beard Award for the cookbook "The Sioux Chef's Indigenous Kitchen" (The Sioux Chef's Indigenous Kitchen) compiled in collaboration with chef Sean Sherman.

As part of our monthly recipe series, Food Tank is pleased to launch Dooley's recipe for Whole Oatmeal Risotto with Pumpkin and Sage. We started this series with Toni Tipton-Martin's Jubilee. Her book traces the history of black cooking for hundreds of years. Today, we will share a sumptuous local autumn-themed recipe from The Perennial Kitchen and Dooley's introduction to the power of cooking-the inspiration we need to enter the kitchen!

One more thing: when you make this recipe at home, please let us know! Tag us on social media @FoodTank or #FoodTank so that we can appreciate your food and share your photos.

In these pages, you will find tips for storing local handmade grains, such as barley, whole oats, rye berries, wheat berries, Kernza, wild rice and cornmeal, which are made from pasta and quinoa shipped from afar Delicious alternatives; recipes for plant-based stews, pilaf, soups; ideas for using new and heirloom varieties of apples, currants, blackcurrants, and elderberries; ways to enjoy hazelnuts and chestnuts; quick tips for harvesting organic vegetables ; Suggestions for cooking grass-fed meats and stewing leftover bones and crumbs into nutritious broth and broth; plus simple methods for making preserves and condiments. By practicing frugality, we have tasted our blessings.

Cooking is an act that appears in the world and cares about oneself and others. This is a personal and intimate way of responding to the climate crisis, supporting our rural communities and raising our families. Cooking provides a focus and an outlet; it is also renewable because we use ingredients from farmers and producers to make meals, and they are very careful. When we seek out and support Black, Aboriginal, and Colored (BIPOC) farmers, we become agents of change. Cooking is easy; it's powerful, but it doesn't have to be too overwhelming-usually the best meals are inspired by what is already in the pantry, garden, and farmer’s market. The sum of our daily choices will ultimately affect our collective future. If you crave hope and comfort, cooking is a good place to start.

— Beth Dooley, "Perennial Kitchen Introduction: Simple Recipes for a Healthy Future"

Whole oatmeal risotto with pumpkin and sage

Whole wheat oats will become creamy like traditional Arborio rice when cooked slowly in the stock. Here, their lovely nutty flavor complements roasted pumpkin seasoned with aromatic sage, as a light dinner or a hearty side dish.

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the squash cut side down on the prepared baking sheet and bake until very soft, about 40 to 50 minutes. Remove the pumpkin, cool and peel. Put the pumpkin in a food processor equipped with a steel blade, pulse until it becomes puree, and set aside.

2. In a medium-sized saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat and sauté the leeks until transparent. Stir the oats, fry the oats for about 1 minute, and coat with oil and chives. Add the wine and cook until fully absorbed. Stir half a cup of stock at a time to allow the grains to fully absorb the stock, then add another ½ cup. Continue to add the ingredients and stir until the grains are soft. (If it is out of stock, add hot water, ½ cup at a time.) Stir in the pumpkin and chopped sage, heat; then season with salt and pepper. Stir in the cheese, adjust the seasoning, and garnish with more chopped sage.

Excerpted from "Perennial Kitchen: Simple Recipes for a Healthy Future", "Introduction: From the Kitchen" by Beth Dooley and "Pumpkin and Sage Whole Oatmeal Risotto"; photo by Met Nelson. Beth Dooley copyright 2021; photo copyright Mette Nielsen 2021. Used with permission from the University of Minnesota Press. all rights reserved.

Jared Kaufman is the newsletter manager for Food Tank and a food reporter and cheese merchant in Minneapolis. He holds a master's degree in food research from Boston University in gastronomy, his thesis focuses on the sociology of children's menus, and a degree in journal journalism from the University of Missouri. Follow him on Twitter @jaredography / email: jared@foodtank.com

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