Leek and Asparagus Risotto with Tarragon

What grows together goes together. Vegetables and herbs that are in season at the same time often make great companions. I especially like fresh French tarragon from my garden paired with asparagus or leeks. This risotto – put together quickly on a rainy Friday night – combined stock from last weekend’s roast chicken with fat end-of-winter leeks from the farmer’s market and fresh spring asparagus that I picked myself at a local farm.  It was a satisfying meal that offered the warm comfort still needed in mid-spring and introduced the fresh vegetables and herbs of the season.

Leek and Asparagus Risotto with Tarragon

1 leek

Olive oil and/or butter (about 1 tbsp combined)

1 c Arborio rice

¼ c white wine

4-5 c chicken or vegetable stock

8 stalks asparagus

2 large sprigs tarragon, chopped, a few whole leaves reserved

¼ c grated Parmesan cheese (or to taste)

Salt to taste

Warm the stock or broth. Thoroughly clean the leek and cut the white and light green part lengthwise, then crosswise into slivers, Sauté the leek in the oil and/or butter over medium-low heat until it starts to turn translucent but do not let it brown. Add the rice and stir to coat, cooking until the surface of the grains turns white. Add the wine and stir to allow it to evaporate and also instill the ingredients with flavor. Add 1/3 cup of warm liquid, adjusting the heat to so that the liquid just simmers and stir until it is absorbed. When the liquid is absorbed, add another 1/3 cup, wait until it’s absorbed, stirring occasionally, and then repeat until the rice is tender but still al dente. This process will take about 20-25 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the asparagus in boiling water until al dente. Drain and cut into 1-inch lengths. Add a little salt and a few sprinkles of olive oil

When the risotto is cooked, add the chopped tarragon and the asparagus and let it sit for a minute or so. Add the grated cheese, taste for salt and adjust as needed. Garnish with reserved tarragon leaves.

Serves 3-4.

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How to Eat Your Lawn: Barley “Risotto” with Dandelion Leaves and Flowers

Ah, the first foraging of spring. While we’re winding down the winter storage pantry and planting seeds that will produce food weeks for now, I get excited about the foodstuffs that just appear. We have pots full of chives, lovage and sorrel peaking up in enough volume to harvest, and a lawn full of violets and dandelions.  In a town with green manicured perfection, we’re not the best neighbors, but our gigantic black walnut tree would thwart any perfect growth. That’s our excuse, other than the fact that we eat our lawn.

Dandelions are great eating. So great that they’re cultivated and celebrated. I think the leaves are at their best when the flowers are just starting to open or just before. I haven’t researched why, but I observe that leafy varieties with nascent flowers thrive under our pines, yielding medium-large and uncomplicated leaves. In the lawn itself, the leaves “whorl” close to the ground and defy cutting but produce prodigious blossoms. Since I think of weeding as harvest, I go for both the greens and the flowers. (If you do this, make sure to pick dandelions that are from an area untouched by car fumes, pesticides or dogs.)

Young dandelion leaves are tender like spinach and piquant like young arugula, both increasing in bitterness with age.  We eat them raw as salad, puree them into pesto for spooning on potatoes or pasta, or sauté or wilt them to serve as greens. I turn the flowers into syrup and jelly but also use them in risotto.  Today, I set out to make risotto with rice, but when I read in the New York Times that conventional rice in this country contains arsenic due to pesticide and fertilizer residue from previous crops (such as cotton in the south), I freaked out and switched to barley.

Barley can be cooked the same way as Arborio rice to make risotto (the word comes from “rice” so I’m referring to its cooking technique). I used pearled barley, and even so, found that the grains took a little longer to cook and needed a little more liquid than rice. Blanched and drained dandelion greens were folded in near the end of the cooking period, and the dish was garnished with the yellow tufts of dandelion flowers. 

Barley “Risotto” with Dandelion Leaves and Flowers

1 small onion, finely chopped

Butter (or olive oil)

¾ c pearled barley

¼ c white wine

4 c chicken stock, warmed

A few handfuls of dandelion greens

¼ c grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper

Garnish: a few dandelion flowers, yellow petals removed from the green bract

In a medium-large saucepan over medium heat, lightly sauté the onion in a little butter or olive oil until soft. Add the barley and stir to coat the grains. Add the wine and cook until the wine is evaporated. Start adding the stock, about ¼ c at a time, regulating the heat to keep the liquid at a simmer. The risotto should cook in 25-30 minutes. About 10 minutes before the end, you will add dandelion greens cooked as described below.

Wash and trim the dandelion greens and add them to a small amount of salted boiling water. As soon as they’re nearing tenderness, drain them and squeeze out excess liquid. Chop them lightly and add to the risotto while it is cooking.

When the grains are tender, remove the risotto from heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, garnished with dandelion flowers if desired.

Serves 3-4 as a light main dish or substantial side dish.

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Pilaf with Mussels and Leeks

I like to play with my food. There’s nothing like a good presentation to whet our visual and gustatory appetites. Sure, you could serve rice simply topped with mussels and leeks, and it would taste very good.  But coating a ramekin with rice, spooning mussels into the middle and inverting it on a plate surrounded with sauce takes virtually no more time and produces a dish that is as attractive as it is tasty.

I got the idea of molding the dish from an old recipe of Jacque Pepin’s, although I treated the mussels, sauce and even the pilaf differently.

Pilaf with Mussels and Leeks, with a nod to Jacques Pepin

2 lb fresh mussels, beards removed and scrubbed

¼ c finely chopped onion – divided in half

½ white wine

2 tsp butter or olive oil

¾ c white rice

About 1½ c water

1/3 c finely chopped celery stalks (reserve the leaves)

1 large leek, white and light green parts only, cleaned and finely chopped

2 tbsp pale celery leaves, chopped

2 tbsp parsley, chopped

1 tsp soft butter

1 tsp flour

Pepper

¾-cup ramekins or small bowls or cups

Clean and scrub the mussels under cold water. Place half the onion and cleaned mussels in a large saucepan with a tight lid and heat it over high heat. Add the wine and cover the pot, shaking it slightly. Cook until the mussels open. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the butter or oil in a small saucepan and add the remaining chopped onion, cooking it slowly until translucent. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains. Add the water, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, covered until the rice is done but not dry, about 15 minutes.  Set aside.

While the rice is cooking, remove the mussels from their shells and set aside, keeping them warm. Strain the liquid through cheesecloth to remove any grit and return it to a wiped out pan. Add all but 2 tbsp of the chopped celery and leeks and simmer until tender, about 3 minutes.

When the rice is fully cooked, stir in 1 tbsp of the reserved chopped celery and leeks and a tsp each of celery leaves and parsley. Line the bottom and sides of a ¾-cup mold or ramekin with the rice mixture, pressing into the sides to compress the rice. Place 6-8 mussels in the center and finish with another coating of rice. Ad a little mussel liquid if the mixture seems too dry, but don’t soak it or the rice will fall apart.

Mix together the flour and butter and gradually whisk it into the mussel liquid. Add all but a tsp or so of chopped celery leaves and parsley and season with freshly ground black pepper.

Spoon some of the mussel liquid onto a plate, invert the rice mold, and garnish with chopped celery leaves and parsley.

Serves 2-3

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Butternut Squash Risotto with Pomegranate Seeds

At the cusp of the old and new years, we are Janus-like, looking back and looking forward. We reminisce. We plan ahead. We see a whole year stretched out in front of us, with endless possibilities but we’re sometimes not mindful that it’s made up of single days. I’m sure that’s why New Year’s resolutions often don’t work.  I always attempt to start afresh by sorting, filing, cleaning, clearing.  So do others, if you believe the instinct of stores like Target that restock the Christmas shelves with storage boxes. I know, it’s also a clever way of taking up space while they change over the merchandise. After the hectic holidays – and this one set a record in length and intensity – I just want a clean desk and an organized pantry. 

So what does this have to do with butternut squash risotto and pomegranates? The answer is both pragmatic and symbolic.  The largesse of the holiday season has left us with bits of this and that – the plump end of a butternut squash, a bit of chicken broth, the last of a bottle of white wine, scraps of ham and a half a pomegranate, among other oddments.  Practically speaking, all but the pomegranate could end up in a soup, a bread pudding, or even a risotto, comfort food ringing out the old year and celebrating the new. But the pomegranate…  Now that’s magic, a nearly universal symbol of abundance and good luck because of the number of bright red seeds that it contains. Through the myth of Persephone (we were just talking about her at dinner the other night – really – due to a certain 5-year-old’s discovery of the near miraculous fruit), the pomegranate also speaks to the seasons, and renewal.  So here we have risotto that collects the old year’s leftovers and transforms them for the new.  Happy New Year.

Butternut Squash Risotto with Pomegranate Seeds

½ medium butternut squash

1 small onion, finely chopped

Butter (or olive oil)

¾ c Arborio rice

¼ c white wine

3-4 c chicken or turkey stock, warmed

Salt and pepper

Seeds from half a small pomegranate

Prepare the squash. Peel it and cut some into neat small dice, roughly chopping the remainder. Steam the diced squash until just tender and reserve it. Cook the chopped squash in a little water until soft and puree it.  The diced squash will be added at the end and the pureed squash will be combined with the risotto cooking liquid.

Lightly sauté the onion in a little butter until soft. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains. Start adding the stock, about ¼ c at a time, regulating the heat to keep the liquid at a simmer. Add the squash puree as you go. Keep stirring and adding additional ¼ c of stock and a little puree.

The entire risotto should take about 20 minutes to cook. When the risotto is just finished, adjust the seasonings. Stir in the diced squash and pomegranate seeds. Serve immediately.

Serves 3-4 as a side dish.

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Pretty in Pink: Radish Risotto

Calm after the devastating hurricane, we are still collecting our thoughts as well as our stuff. With makeshift battened down windows and tree parts strewn everywhere, this place is a mess. In the midst of chaos, in waltzes this pretty little radish risotto, like a wide-eyed ingénue, acting like spring was awakening instead of the coming dark days. It was refreshing. This risotto was especially delicious because of the broth. While I would typically use homemade chicken stock, I defrosted a lovely flavorful late spring vegetable broth made from leek greens and pea pods, part of the plan to rid the fridge and freezer of anything that might have gotten too warm during the prolonged power outage.  I have to remember to make and store this broth again next year. The grated radish and slivered radish greens added at the end provided a nice contrast to the homey texture of the rice.   

Risotto with Radishes

½ medium onion, diced  (about ¼ c)

Olive oil and/or butter (about 1 tbsp combined)

6 or so radishes, trimmed and diced (about ½ c)

1 c Arborio rice

¼ c white wine

4-5 c chicken or vegetable stock

¼ c grated Parmesan cheese (or to taste)

Salt to taste

Grated radishes and slivered radish greens

Warm the liquid. Sauté the onion in the oil and/or butter over medium-low heat until it starts to turn translucent. Add the radishes and stir to coat them with the oil. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the radishes begin to soften. Add the rice and stir to coat, cooking until the surface of the grains turns white. Add the wine and stir to allow it to evaporate and also instill the ingredients with flavor. Add 1/3 cup of warm liquid, adjusting the heat to so that the liquid just simmers and stir until it is absorbed. When the liquid is absorbed, add another 1/3 cup, wait until it’s absorbed, stirring occasionally, and then repeat until the rice is tender but still al dente. This process will take about 20-25 minutes. Taste and add salt and the grated cheese. Stir in grated radishes and slivered radish greens and sprinkle some on top.

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Corn and Roasted Green Chili Risotto

‘Tis the season of corn and chilis. Nearing the end of their harvest cycle, great stands of corn stalks are drying and rustling in the wind, yielding long plump ears for supper. After we’ve had a summer full of corn on the cob, we’re slicing off the kernels, simmering the cobs for stock, and adding them to soups, stews, corn bread, and now risotto.

Meanwhile, green chili peppers are populating their bushes in droves — long anaheims, shiny dark green poblanos, jalapenos, serranos, bird chilis and varieties I’ve never heard of in amazing shapes and colors. Our CSA plants hundreds of feet of peppers as a pick-your-own crop and this has been an especially successful season.  We’ve been harvesting 20-30 peppers a week for about a month and there are many little ones growing, a testament to constant picking that stimulates the plant to produce more fruit.

 I roasted the largest anaheims (in the same family as the famous hatch chili from New Mexico), a few poblanos and others that are relatively large on our outdoor grill until browned. The skins slip right off. The milder ones were eaten with a little salt and fresh cheese. The stronger ones were set aside in the refrigerator to add to various dishes or frozen in heavy plastic bags in quantities that are logical to add to individual dishes. Since thin-skinned chili peppers can be frozen raw, I halved and de-seeded some to be preserved this way. They get mushy but I use them in cooked food so no matter. (If you’re freezing bell peppers, blanch them first.) Yet others, the ones whose color is breaking, are left on a rack to turn red and dry out, so that they can be bagged whole or crushed. My pepper supply will last a year. Looking forward to local huevos rancheros in January. 

So for a satisfying supper on the first day of fall, I decided to make risotto, using stock made with corncobs. I added roasted corn kernels and green chilis, and spiked the dish with lime juice and zest, and sprinkling of cilantro.  Served with tomatoes sprinkled with a crumbly cheese, this was a perfect celebration of seasonality.  (I cooked the corn in the oven, allowing half to brown and adding the other half partway through just to cook them lightly.)

Corn and Roasted Green Chili Risotto

2 ears of corn

3-4 c vegetable or light chicken stock

1-2 anaheim peppers

Olive oil

Salt

1 small onion, finely chopped

Butter (or olive oil)

¾ c Arborio rice

1 lime

Cilantro leaves

Cut the corn kernels into a bowl (they spatter less if you cut the cobs in half crosswise and slice one half at a time), reserving the cobs.

Place the cobs in a saucepan with the broth or stock and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Remove and discard the cobs. Keep the liquid warm.

Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Place half the corn kernels and the whole peppers on baking sheet and with a little olive oil and salt. Roast for around 7-10 minutes, turning the peppers and stirring the corn part way through. Add the reserved corn kernels and cook for 3-5 minutes until cooked but not brown. Remove the corn to a bowl to cool. Place the peppers in a bag to steam, and remove the skin and seeds. Chop and add to the corn.

To make the risotto, lightly sauté the onion in a little butter until soft. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains. Start adding the stock, about ¼ cup at a time, regulating the heat to keep the liquid at a simmer. Keep stirring and adding additional ¼ cup of stock. The entire risotto should take about 20 minutes to cook.

Add the reserved corn and peppers, the lime juice and half the zest and cilantro.

Garnish with the remaining lime zest and cilantro.

Serves 3 as a main dish, 4 as a side dish.

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Green Bean Risotto

The story of Jack and the beanstalk is true. At least in my garden. Not only do we have young climbers already reaching ten feet, but we also have an endless harvest of bush beans from just a few plants. The trick is to keep them picked so they renew themselves. However, since you’re not supposed to be handling wet plants (beans “rust”), there have been a few rainy days that resulted in slightly bulging pods. These needed a good long cook to be tender so risotto seemed like the right idea. I cooked the beans in a combination of chicken stock and corn broth (from the cobs) before making the risotto, eking out every last drop of nutrients and flavor. This made a perfect summer supper served with melon and prosciutto as our “salad.”

Green Bean Risotto

A large handful of green beans (about ½ lb)

4-5 c chicken stock or vegetable broth or a combination

Olive oil and/or butter

½ medium onion, diced

1 cup Arborio rice

¼ cup white wine

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Salt and white pepper to taste

Prepare the beans. Wash, top and tail the beans and cut them into ½-inch lengths. Bring the stock or broth to a boil in a large saucepan and add the beans, cooking them until tender, 4-7 minutes depending on the size and age of the beans. Remove the beans to a bowl and keep the liquid warm.

Make the risotto. In a medium saucepan, saute the onion slowly in butter and/or oil until translucent. Add the rice and stir to coat. Add the white wine and stir to allow it to evaporate. Add 1/3 cup of stock, turn the heat to medium low or low (so it just simmers) and stir until the stock is absorbed. When the liquid is absorbed, add another 1/3 cup of stock, wait until it’s absorbed, stirring occasionally, and then repeat until the rice is tender but still al dente. This process will take about 20-25 minutes.

Add the green beans to the risotto when it is nearly done. Finish with the Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Serves 3-4 as a main course.

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Risotto with Ramps and Chives

When I was a kid, my Grandpop and I would sally down to the “crick” and its grove and harvest ramps and talk about fishing and what we were going to plant in the “garden” (small farm). My early youth, probably unbeknownst to the rest of my family, was full of encounters and experiences with the men of the field and farm and the women of the pantry and cellar. They were our grandparents.  My many siblings may have been born too late or just never connected, even though we lived upstairs or next door.  These were the blessings of being the oldest child of many, I suppose, though most of the time, the eldest ones are considered …just older… and maybe out of touch. For me, these wandering encounters with another generation and the innocence of the earth have endured and became fundamental to my understanding of the way of the world, personal relationship with the land and its sustenance, and love of family. They’re all related, you know (note lesson for future).

Because of Grandpop, ramps hold a special place in my idea of the food world. I don’t forage for them now, mostly because I haven’t discovered where, but also because the current popular rage for them could create endangerment and I want no part of that. However, at the market this past weekend, there were ramps for sale, and I couldn’t resist. Not exactly a Proustian moment, but intriguing. 

Ramps are part of the allium family (like leeks, onions, garlic) and grow in the wild. They have stems and roots like scallions and broad green leaves. All parts are edible. For the risotto, I sautéed the bulbs and stems before adding the rice, and added the slivered leaves in batches over the course of cooking the risotto. Lightened with lemon zest instead of salt, this was a very flavorful and full-bodied dish.

Risotto with Ramps

12 ramps (about ¼ lb)

¼ c white wine

4 c or so of chicken stock or vegetable broth

Olive oil and/or butter (about 1 tbsp)

1 cup Arborio rice

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (or to taste)

Salt to taste

Optional: lemon zest, garnish of chives and blossoms

Wash the ramps. Cut the root ends and stalks into thin slices and set aside. Cut the leaves into ¼-inch ribbons and set aside.

Saute the root ends and stalks slowly in the oil and/or butter. Add the rice and stir to coat. Add the wine and stir until the wine is absorbed. Add 1/3 cup of stock, turn the heat to medium low or low (so it just simmers) and stir until the liquid is absorbed. When the liquid is absorbed, add another 1/3 cup of stock, wait until it’s absorbed, stirring occasionally, and then repeat until the rice is tender but still al dente. This process will take about 20-25 minutes. Every 5 minutes, add a portion of the ramp leaves. When the risotto is finished, add the grated cheese, season to taste with salt and a pinch or so of lemon zest if you choose. Garnish with snipped chives and tufts from a chive flower. Serves 4.

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Asparagus Risotto with Spring Onions

Ah April, when the asparagus stalks emerge all spindly from the bare ground and plump violet spring onions are bunched for sale at the market. One of our local farms has a pick-your-own asparagus field, which I visit on my way back from the farmers’ market on Saturday. It’s rejuvenating to know that our local earth is starting to produce our daily meals once again. And yet the weather, ever so fickle (climate change?) vacillates between a dry 80 degrees and below 50 in a chilling rain. That’s when spring risotto comes in. It perfectly balances our yen for the freshest ingredients with the comfort of a warm and unctuous, satisfying dish.    

Risotto is not hard to make, and it is not particularly time-consuming when you realize that it can be a meal-in-one in about 30 minutes, including a little prep time. Sometimes when I make vegetable-laden risotto, I cook the rice and vegetables separately. While this is my typical practice with asparagus, I realized that adding finely cut raw asparagus at the end of the cooking time works well, especially since the young vegetable mellows under little heat. I said 5 minutes in my recipe since that’s what I did, but it could be less. The other trick here was to cook the trimmings from the asparagus (just the ends here but peeled lower skin later in the season) to flavor the stock or broth, adding to the asparagus experience. I separately cooked a spear or two for garnish and considered adding a garnish of lemon zesty to pique the flavors.

Vegetarians can use vegetable stock instead of chicken and dairy-free folk can simply omit the butter and cheese.

Asparagus Risotto

1 small bunch asparagus

4-5 cups chicken stock or vegetable broth

1 medium spring onion or leek, white/violet and light green parts only (or use scallions)

Olive oil and/or butter (about 1 tbsp)

1 cup Arborio rice

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (or to taste)

Salt to taste

Optional: lemon zest, garnish of steamed asparagus

Snap the ends from the asparagus, rinse them well to remove any grit, and add them to a saucepan containing the chicken stock or vegetable broth. (If your asparagus is woody as it sometimes is later in the season, peel the ends and add the peelings to the liquid.) Bring the liquid to a simmer and cook slowly for 15 minutes.

Cut the asparagus into ¼-inch slices and set aside if cooking with the risotto, or parboil it separately for a few minutes in boiling water and drain, setting it aside to add at the end.

Split the spring onion or leek in half vertically and then slice it crosswise. If using scallions, cut them (white and light green part only) into ¼-inch slices.

Saute the onion slowly in the oil and/or butter. Add the rice and stir to coat. Add 1/3 cup of stock, turn the heat to medium low or low (so it just simmers) and stir until the stock is absorbed. When the liquid is absorbed, add another 1/3 cup of stock, wait until it’s absorbed, stirring occasionally, and then repeat until the rice is tender but still al dente. This process will take about 20-25 minutes. About 5 minutes before the risotto is finished (when it is getting tender but still a little chewy), add the reserved asparagus pieces, stirring them well. (Alternatively, you can cook the asparagus separately and add it at the end.) When the risotto is finished, add the grated cheese, season to taste with salt and a pinch or so of lemon zest if you choose. Serves 4.

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Risotto with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage

Ta da! My first experience growing broccoli rabe has been a success. I planted it in early September and hoped that it would mature enough to harvest or possibly over-winter for a spring crop. We’ve been nursing it along with a blanket cover during dips below freezing and finally, as it started to flower and a sustained hard freeze set in, I went out and harvested the lot. For us, living in town, the lot is not a lot, but enough for several meals. While the risotto was just fine as is, I added a little cooked and crumbled Italian sausage. During most of the week, we regard meat as a garnish rather than the focus of a meal. Better for you and better for the planet.  

Broccoli Rabe Risotto

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

Butter (or olive oil)

¾ c Arborio rice

¾ -1 c cooked broccoli rabe

3-4 c chicken or turkey stock, warmed

Salt and pepper

¼ c grated Parmesan cheese or other flavorful hard cheese

Optional: ½-1 flavorful Italian sausage, cooked and crumbled

Optional: a few flakes of red pepper

Lightly sauté the onion in a little butter or oil until soft. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains. Start adding the stock, about ¼ c at a time, regulating the heat to keep the liquid at a simmer. Keep stirring and adding additional ¼ c of stock. The entire risotto should take about 20 minutes to cook. About ¾ of the way through, add the greens. (They will impart moisture to the rice so you may not need to add as much stock.) When the risotto is just finished, adjust the seasonings and add the grated cheese. Stir in the crumbled sausage if using. Serve immediately.

Serves 3 as a main dish, up to 6 as a side dish.

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