Seasonal Green Risotto

From the recipe box of Maggie Christians

This is a great “base recipe” that allows for the changing of the seasons. Risotto is a great way to highlight veggies with a perfect combination of hearty and fresh. Perfect this risotto and you will have 10 “new” dishes that your people will love.

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Ingredients

For the Risotto

• 4 cups chicken broth

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 3 tablespoons butter

• 1 shallot, finely chopped

• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice

• 1/2 cup white wine

• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

• salt & pepper, to taste

For the Green Puree

• 4 cups greens, rough chop, loosely packed

• 4 garlic cloves, whole

• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

• 1/2 cup scallions, rough chop

• 1/4 olive oil

• chicken broth, if needed

• salt & pepper, to taste

Notes:

This recipe is designed to change with the seasonal availability:

• Spring: turnip & radish greens, kale, spinach, green garlic, arugula, asparagus, microgreens on top.

• Summer: kohlrabi, bok choy, carrots, scallions, peas, greens beans, cherry tomatoes, chard, zucchini (oh, summer has endless combinations!)

• Autumn/Winter: kale, chard, arugula, spinach, winter squash, celery.

Directions

For the Risotto

1. In a saucepan, heat the broth until it starts to simmer.

2. Lower heat to keep broth hot but no longer simmering.

3. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, toss in chopped shallots and sauté until slightly translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes.

4. Add rice to the shallots and oil and stir, coating the grains in the oil, and sauté for another 2 minutes until the rice is also slightly translucent. Do not brown the rice.

5. Stir in the wine and cook while stirring, until the liquid is fully absorbed.

6. Add a ladle of hot chicken broth to the rice and stir occasionally until the liquid is fully absorbed. When the rice appears nearly dry, add another ladle of broth and repeat the process.

7. Continue adding broth, a ladle at a time, for about 20 to 30 minutes or until the grains are tender but toothsome but no longer crunchy.

8. Stir in the butter and cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. The amount of salt needed will depend on your chicken broth and cheese.

For the Green Puree

1. Put the garlic cloves in a medium pot, fill it with water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Salt water generously.

2. Remove tough stems from greens, if needed, and rough chop greens. Add greens to the pot, making sure to submerged in water. Cook uncovered for 3–4 minutes until the greens are tender.

3. Drain the greens and garlic and place in an ice water bath for 1–2 minutes, until cool enough to handle. Drain again and squeeze out any remaining water.

4. Combine the greens and garlic mixture with red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper in a blender or food processor.

5. Process, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides until the mixture is chopped up a bit. Add no more than 1/4 cup olive oil and blend again, scraping sides as needed. If your mixture is still not to a puréed texture, add a bit of chicken broth you have boiling for the risotto until you reach your desired consistency. I prefer a smooth consistency, but a chunkier consistency is also delicious.

6. Do not replace broth with more oil, or your final product will be too oily and the mouthfeel will be off.

7. When your rice and purée are ready, you can stir the purée directly into the rice and serve or you can dish up rice and stir in as much or as little purée as you’d like. I prefer the latter for presentation purposes, but both taste delicious.

Be adventurous and enjoy!