Risotto, yo.

This is the most amazing time of year for finding fresh from the fields fruits and veg. Farmers markets are around town almost every day of the week. CSA's are arriving packed full of all different sorts of deliciousness. I get so excited about figuring out new, easy dinners to make with whatever managed to make it home in my bag from the market. 

I decided, hey, maybe I should start sharing these on ye olde blog...the successful ones at least. So here's one of my first farmers market mash-ups, from a few weeks ago. Risotto does take a little bit of time, but is really not that complicated past that. I included the veg I found while I was at the market, but many others could be substituted: tomatoes, turnips, daikon radish, squash, arugula, greens...the list is endless. Have fun with it!

Farmers Market Risotto

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups arborio rice

6 cups of broth (your choice)

(these are the basic proportions for a risotto...so anything below this is really flexible as far as ingredients.)

1 zucchini, diced

2 small white onions, diced

1 small bunch spinach, loosely chopped

2-4 Tbsps olive oil

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 Tbsps Balsamic Vinegar

salt and pepper

Directions

-put a few Tbsps of the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat

-add garlic and onions, sautée til onions are soft

-add zucchini, sautée for a few more minutes

-add the spinach at the very end, cooking til just beginning to wilt

-pour the veg into a bowl to rest until it's ready to be added to the risotto

-add a few more Tbsps to the saucepan, and lower the heat to medium-low

-add the rice to the oil and sautée for a few minutes, til the grains are translucent

-stir in the balsamic vinegar, coating all the grains evenly

-add the veg back in, and begin the process of adding the broth

-slowly ladle the broth in, 1/3 to 1/4 cup at a time, stirring constantly until all the moisture is absorbed by the grains. Over time, the grains will begin to break down and the delicious creaminess of the risotto will be able to be seen, but don't add more broth until the liquid has been absorbed. This should take approximately 20-25 minutes. The low heat is crucial to the risotto dish, so resist the temptation to turn the heat up, even if it smells delicious and you want to eat it. Also, it may seem impossible for the 1 1/2 cups of rice to absorb 6 cups of broth, but it will. Just be patient and keep stirring. 

-when done, first be really proud! Then add a little salt and pepper, make a side salad, and dinner is served!