Skip to main content

Cool enough for risotto!


It's been a hot coupla weeks here in Lake Wobegon, my hometown, so when the weather cooled down and the rain started, I was ready to stand over the stove a spell. I have been craving risotto and have so many lovely vegetables to add from my garden that I was inspired. I found a recipe that used green beans. You can follow any risotto recipe, which is basically 1 1/2 cups of arborio rice to 6 cups of broth and 1/2 cup of wine. First you saute whatever you want in some olive oil (I used onions, carrots, shallots and garlic) briefly, add the rice, stir and saute for about 3 minutes, then start adding broth, 1 cup at a time. Stir pretty continuously. You don't want it to stick to the bottom of the pan (I use a large iron skillet). When most of the broth is absorbed, add the next cup and stir more. Keep it on a medium/low flame. The entire process will take about 45 minutes. When you have added 5 cups and it has been absorbed, add the wine and stir. Once that is absorbed, add the final cup of broth and the colorful things. Prepare them in advance so they don't need cooking. I blanched the green beans in boiling water for 4.5 minutes. They had lost their squeakiness but were not overcooked. Also be sure to add about 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese at this point. This gives the dish the signature creaminess that is so delicious. The final dish will be creamy and al dente. Eat immediately if possible. It is difficult to reheat if you don't have a microwave, so eat it all up.
As a side dish, we had fresh baby collard greens sauteed in butter and schmaltz. Some people like to use bacon for this, which is very good. I melted the butter and schmaltz (about 1.5 tablespoons each), added sliced shallots and garlic and cooked until they were soft. Then I added the cleaned and chopped collards, turned the heat to low, put on the lid and waited about long enough for one song on my iPod. Then I added two tablespoons of kombucha, a fermented tea. Most Magidows add vinegar or lemon juice at this point, but I had a batch of kombucha that was smelling a lot like vinegar, so I tried it. It is a marvelous beverage and tonic, and is very nice for salad dressings or anything that calls for an acidic ingredient. The result was quite marvelous. Jeff made fresh bread and we picked some sweet cherry tomatoes from the garden to round out the meal:

Comments

Lillian said…
Oh holy crap that looks good! Sounds like you use kombucha they way I use pickle juice from things I've pickled. Last night we had the most amazing salad: just arugula, fresh wacky-looking tomatoes, pickled turnips, pickled turnip juice, and olive oil.

Popular posts from this blog

Thick-cut Pork Chops

These intimidating chops were actually pretty easy to cook. They're called an "Iowa Chop", and they're just a thick-cut, bone-in, center-cut chop. I've discovered that the secret to juicy pork chops is to start with a cold pan and obsessively checking the temperature . I find they're best just under 160 degrees. Pork Chops 2 1-lb. Iowa Chops 2-3 Tbsp. salt 2 Tbsp. white pepper 2 Tbsp. dried sage 2 Tbsp. Smoked (or regular) paprika 3 Tbsp. oil Sauce (optional): 1/2 c. chicken broth 1/2 c. white wine (I used Pinot Grigio) 2 Tbsp. corn starch 1 tsp. white pepper 2 tsp. Dijon mustard 1/4 c. cold water Preheat the oven to 350. Pat the chops dry with some paper towel. Sprinkle them liberally with the salt and spices and allow them to warm up to room temperature while you start the quinoa and chop the cauliflower. Place the oil in your pan, but do not pre-heat the pan. Add the chops to the pan and place them on the stove. Heat the pan up to medium, turning the chop

Miele Steam Oven Pulled Pork

I've been debating whether I should post some of these more niche recipes--now that we have a steam oven and a high powered stove, I am making recipes that not everyone can reproduce with other equipment. I've decided to post some of them 1) for my own records, and 2) because there are very few recipes available online for these devices (especially the steam oven). Perhaps these recipes will be of use to others. I don't have a photo for this one because I decided to post the recipe after the fact. 3-5 lb pork shoulder roast (~3 lb without bone, ~5 lb with) 1 large white onion, 1/4" slices 1 Tbsp. butter 1 chicken boullion cube 1 c. water 2 tsp. dried thyme 1 tsp. dried sage 1 tsp. whole coriander 1 Tbsp. coarse ground salt 1 Tbsp. brown sugar 1 tsp. dry mustard 1 tsp. white pepper 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. cayenne 1/4 tsp. allspice 1/4 tsp. celery seed Saute the onions in the butter in a saute pan over medium for 10 min until the onions are somewha

Baking Powder Dumplings

This is Mom's standard dumpling recipe, excellent with chicken soup. Drop them in, put the lid on, and enjoy. Ingredients: 2 cups flour 4 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 scant cup milk or water Preparation: Mix the dry ingredients, stir in the milk or water gradually to make a soft dough. Drop by spoonful into boiling salted water or simmering stew. Cover tightly, cook 10-15 minutes before lifting cover. Test for doneness, drain. Serve at once. Well, once they cool off so you don't burn your tongue. PS - This is post 199! Hope someone does something special for #200!