SEASONAL RISOTTO
Risotto is one of those dishes that can be made all year, changing what goes into it with whatever is coming from the garden or looks best at the market. The method stays the same. What changes is everything around it.
In the winter months, rainbow carrots and purple cauliflower bring color to a plate of butternut squash risotto.
Butternut Squash Risotto
- 1 leek – minced – white part only
- 1 celery stalks – minced
- 1 cup butternut squash – finely diced
- 1 TBS butter
- 2 TBS olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic – minced
- 2 cups arborio rice
- 1 cup white wine
- 5 -6 cups chicken stock – heated
- 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Thaw out chicken stock, if using frozen homemade, in a large sauce pan and keep warm.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Peel the butternut squash with a vegetable peeler. Cut off the top and bottom and then cut in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Finely dice.
Add oil and butter in a dutch oven. Over medium low heat sauté leeks, celery and butternut about 5 minutes.
Add garlic and cook until just fragrant.
Add rice and stir to coat, cooking until slightly toasted.
Add wine and simmer until absorbed.
Add hot chicken stock, 1/2 cup at a time, letting it absorb into the rice before adding each additional 1/2 cup. Stir frequently.
Increase the heat to medium low and continue adding stock 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently, until the risotto is creamy and al dente (15 -18 minutes) tasting for the correct doneness and seasoning.
Off the heat, add parmesan and butter. Finish with a little chicken stock if the risotto is too thick.
Roasted Winter Vegetables
- 1 head purple cauliflower – cut into florets
- 1 bunch rainbow carrots – peeled and cut on the diagonal
- 1 TBS olive oil
- 2 TBS butter
- 4 fresh sage leaves
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Peel and cut the carrots on the diagonal into bite size portions. Preserve a little bit of the green fresh carrot tops, but make sure they are rinsed clean of dirt.
Place the carrots in a medium size bowl and toss lightly with olive oil and season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Place in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet .
Roast in a 425 degree oven until browned, turning once during cooking, about 25 minutes
Cut the cauliflower into florets. In a large oven proof skillet, heat a little butter and sauté until caramelized, season with chopped sage, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, then transfer to a 400 degree oven and roast until tender and brown.
KABIE PLATES
On a large white plate, place a spoonful of risotto slightly to one side of the plate. Place the roasted winter vegetables on the other half of the plate, slightly overlapping the risotto, letting then fall away from the center. Garnish with shaved parmesan and a few small sage leaves.
