Move over, Quinoa Salad; There's a new grain in town.

We picked up the Holiday Cooking Special Issue of Bon Appetit at Farm Boy yesterday. It was a very, very good investment, and boy was it persuasive. Until dinner tonight, I really wasn't in the mood for fall food yet. I didn't want squash, or pumpkin, or turkey. A big, hot lasagna was at the bottom of the list. I couldn't stand the thought of stew. But tonight, all of that changed with one taste of this dish: "Wild Rice with Butternut Squash, Leeks, and Corn".

We had it alongside two teeny chicken pinwheels (boneless, skinless chicken smeared with tarragon mustard and wrapped around a blob of brie and a few dried cranberries)--just something I concocted with the ingredients we had kicking around. It was excellent, sure, but I can't really take credit for that--you can't make a mistake with brie and cranberry. And anyway, the chicken was simply not the main event. It was in more of a supporting role, if you will.

The rice salad--warm, filling--with its array of textures--the nubby rice, soft-on-the-inside, caramelized-on-the-outside squash, juicy corn, and crisp leeks--was a meal on its own. Despite having nothing seasoning it except for coarse salt and fresh ground pepper, the flavours were intense and incredibly rich. I implore you to try this dish. It's well worth the work (peeling the squash being the worst of it) and the cost of the ingredients (wild rice is expensive!).

Note: I halved this recipe and it made enough for a HUGE serving for each of us plus another serving left over. The full recipe is supposed to feed 10 people (in a Thanksgiving, multiple-side-dish scenario). Halving it would easily give 3-4 people a reasonable side dish.

Wild Rice with Butternut Squash, Leeks, and Corn

SERVES 10
Adapted from Bon Appetit, November 2008
Nancy Oakes and Pamela Mazzola

• 1 1/2 cups wild rice
• 2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 3 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled butternut or buttercup squash (from 1 1/2-pound squash)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, divided
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped leeks (white part only)
• 1 1/2 cups frozen white corn kernels, thawed
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley

Rinse rice in strainer under cold water; drain. Bring 6 cups water and 2 teaspoons coarse salt to boil in large saucepan. Add rice; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered until rice grains begin to split and are tender but still slightly chewy (Do test them; eat a few grains and make sure they're a texture you'd normally enjoy eating), about 35-45 minutes. Drain. Spread on rimmed baking sheet to cool. Transfer to bowl. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Oil rimmed baking sheet. Toss squash cubes and 3 tablespoons oil in medium bowl. Spread squash in single layer on prepared sheet; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast just until tender but firm enough to hold shape, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Transfer squash to bowl. Cool. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add leeks and 3/4 cup water; simmer until leeks are tender, about 7 minutes. Add corn; simmer 2 minutes longer. Add rice and butternut squash; simmer until heated through and liquid is absorbed, about 4 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons butter and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl and serve.