Roasted Grape & Pancetta Risotto

I went to the farmers' market the other day (one of my favorite things to do) and met a farmer who still had grapes.  He told me that in Northern California we have about one more month of red seedless grapes, so I bought a bunch.  I like to eat seasonally (have you heard?), so when I hear or know that I have months to wait for a sweet taste of something, I have to try to get it while I can.

Here's the other thing about me: I like to do things out of the ordinary with the food I buy.  Not always, but sometimes.  And this was one of those times. I bought enough grapes to just enjoy them as they are, to freeze them on a sheet pan for a little frozen treat later, but I was still left with about a pound.  What to do?

Roast them!

 

 

I know it sounds weird, but why not?  I roast veggies all the time to bring out all the sweet loveliness, but what would happen if you roasted some fruit?  Well it just brings out even more sweetness, and gives it a little bit of earthiness, too.

 

 

Now what to do with them?  It's cold, I need a little comfort food, so...... risotto.

 

 

People seem to be intimidates by risotto.  Not sure why.  Did someone give us the idea that it was really hard, so we would end up paying top dollar for it in restaurants and be impressed by it when people cooked it for us???  It's actually really easy.  But it does take some patience and attention - you know one of those is not high up there in my wheel house (guess which one!?).  But if I can do it, you surely can!

 

 

I always start risotto with butter and olive oil.  Then I add chopped onions and garlic.  This time I also added pancetta.

 





 

 

Next comes the Arborio rice.  I add it to the skillet and let it toast for a few minutes, stirring it every once and a while.  Oh yeah, here's a thing:  I used to cook my risotto in a large saucepan.  Not sure why, but it seemed like a good idea at the time.  My mom questioned my method (but then when doesn't she?), and said she uses a skillet.  Thankfully she doesn't read my blog (somehow to "techie" for her), so I can safely say... shhhhhh...she was right.  Use a skillet.  I like to use my cast iron (of course).  It provides a nice even heat and lets all of the Arborio have a chance to swim around in the broth you're about to add.

 

 

 

Now most people will add wine here, before adding the broth.  And I used to do that too (of course you're going to do what everyone else does).  But a couple summers ago I was doing a demo at the Union Street Festival in San Francisco and was testing one of my risotto recipes over and over to get it right.  A chef friend I knew suggested that I skip the wine and add vinegar at the very end.  I tried it, and it was genius (and delicious!).  So skip the wine (save it to drink!), and start adding broth.

 

 

 

You want to be sure that your broth is warm; keep it at a simmer in a pot next to your skillet.  Start with a cup once your rice is nice and toasty, and you continue to add a cup as the liquid evaporates.  This whole process will take from 30-45 minutes.

 

 

You want to wait until the liquid is completely evaporated before you start adding another cup Here's where it helps to be ambidextrous, which I'm not (if I try to stir the risotto with my left hand, most of it ends up on the stove top).  You have to stir constantly . Again, I learned this through trial and error.  Well, more error than trial.  That same chef friend I knew, who told me about the vinegar in lieu of wine trick, also taught me that if I stir my risotto constantly (instead of during commercials), I get a much better, creamier consistency.

 

After about 30 minutes you can see it really come together; it's getting creamier, the rice is puffing up, and if you taste it, it's almost there, just a little "toothy" (my super fancy culinary term for "almost done").  That's when I add a little half and half and cheese - this time I used Gruyere, but you can use any hard cheese like Parmesan or Asiago.

 

And because I like to introduce color (and fiber) into my dishes, I added some baby spinach, too.

 

 

After the spinach wilts, I add a hit of apple cider vinegar and fold in the roasted grapes.  The sweet of the grapes marries so beautifully with the saltiness of the pancetta. I just had to hit it with a little freshly cracked pepper (OK and a smidge of salt - I can't help it!)

 

This is happiness in a bowl, my friends.....

 

 

Roasted Grape & Pancetta Risotto

Serves 4

 

1 lb. red seedless grapes, halved

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 cup chopped onion

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

2 oz. pancetta, chopped

6 cups vegetable broth

1 1/2 cups Arborio rice

1/4 cup half & half

1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Sea salt & pepper to taste

Chopped chives for garnish

• Preheat oven to 400.
• Placed grape halves on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and set aside.
• Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium high heat.
• Add onion and sauté 5 minutes until lightly softened.
• Meanwhile bring broth to a simmer in a saucepan over medium low heat, and keep at a low simmer.
• Add garlic to onions and continue cooking, stirring occasionally for 1 minute.
• Add pancetta and stir to combine.  Continue cooking, stirring often for 2-3 minutes.
• Add rice and stir to coat.  Let toast, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes.
• Add a cup of hot broth to skillet and stir constantly until liquid is absorbed.
• Add another cup of broth when all liquid is absorbed and continue stirring.
• Repeat this process until rice is puffy and tender,
• Stir in half and half and roasted grapes and cook an additional 3 minutes.
• Add cheese and stir to combine.
• When cheese is melted into the rice, add vinegar.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper
• Garnish with chopped chives.

 

Cook Happy!



A Healthier Risotto, Part II

A while back I posted a recipe for a yummy risotto using whole grain farro instead of arborio rice.  I thought it was perfect.  Then I was asked to do a cooking demo at the Union Street Festival and I consulted with Tom of TomFoolCookery.com about what I should fix.  He knew I was pretty pleased with my new "farrotto" recipe, and suggested I do that.  I fixed it for him and he made a couple suggestions that transformed it from what I thought was perfect to.....perfecter (oh, let's just make that a word!).

I had always made my risotto with wine and broth, per the traditional recipes that I learned from (yes, that's a dangling preposition from a former English teacher, but you'll have to get used to that).  I had started adding the wine at the end of the process rather than at the beginning, and Tom thought that it left a bitter taste.  He suggested that I try using white wine vinegar instead.  I'm always game to try something new, and I love what vinegar adds to lots of other dishes I make, so I gave it a go.  What an unbelieveable flavor enhancer!  Wine was now out for me.

Next was the onion.  Classic risotto recipes start with sauteeing onions, and that didn't change in my farrotto.  But after cooking for 30-45 minutes, the onions are obviously very soft, and almost unrecognizable.  They've done their job of flavoring the dish, but they no longer add any texture.  The only thing I prize more than "pretty" in my cooking is texture.  So he suggested that I add another 1/2 cup of diced onion toward the end of cooking.  Again, I have to give him props on that suggestion.

The response that our farrotto received today (lots of "Oh my!", "YUM!" and "This is soooo good!") has caused me to rewrite that original recipe.  If you liked the first one, which I've heard many of you have, give this one a try.  You won't be sorry.....

Farrotto

Serves 4-6

8 cups vegetable broth* (Trader Joe's low sodium is still my fave)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 cups diced onions, divided

2 teaspoons chopped garlic (more if you'd like)

2 cups farro

1 bunch asparagus, cleaned, trimmed and cut into 1" pieces

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon lemon zest

2 teaspoons chopped thyme leaves (use lemon thyme if you can find it; BTW,  it's easy to grow)

1 lb shelled English peas

1/4 cup half & half (highly recommend local, organic Straus Family)

1/2 cup goat gouda

Sea salt & pepperr to taste

• Bring broth to a gentle boil, reduce heat and simmer. (A boil is a belly laugh; a simmer is a giggle.)
• Bring a separate pot of water to boil.
• In a large, deep-sided skillet heat butter and oilve oil.
• Add onions and saute for 3-5 minutes until translucent and beginning to soften.
• Add garlic and saute an additional minute, stirring constantly.
• Add farro and stir to coat all grains.  Continue toasting grains for 1-2 minutes.
• Add 1 cup of broth and stir, stir stir.
• Once liquid has evaporated, add another cup of broth and continue stirring constantly.
• Repeat process until farro is soft, about 30-45 minutes.  (Taste the texture after 30 minutes; farro should be softened, like al dente pasta.)
• While farro is cooking place asparagus in boiling water and cook 2 minutes. Drain and cool under cold water. 
• When farroto is near done, add white wine vinegar.  Taste and add more if necessary.
• Add remaining 1/2 cup diced onoin, lemon zest, thyme, asparagus and peas stirring to combine.
• Add half & half and cheese, stirring to combine.
• Season to taste with salt & pepper. 

You'll thank me even more now!  And go ahead, thank Tom, too.

Everyday Paella....any way you like it

I often tell people in my cooking classes that I love to cook, but I don't necessarily like to spend a lot of time doing it. That may have a little something to do with the fact that I also really love to EAT....get it into my belly now! So I work at creating dishes that are delcious and healthy, but also can be made quickly.  Paella is not one of them (it takes about an hour to prep and cook), but DANG is it good!  And because it's packed with veggies, rice, beans, and great proteins, it's all you really need to fix for dinner.  The ultimate one pot meal.

There are as many different versions of paella as there are cooks.  You can go from a completely vegetarian version all the way up to the traditional with pork, chicken, seafood and shellfish version.  The one constant is rice.  Any medium or short grain rice is acceptable; they absorb the liquid better than long grain rice.  That being said, I am partial to brown rice, but it takes quite a while to cook, so my preferred rice when making paella is arborio.  It will cook within 35 minutes and also creates a creamy texture, a bit like risotto.

Spring is my favorite season for paella, bacause I like to add asparagus, sugar snap peas and even fava beans to the mix.  This recipe doesn't include fava beans, because they need a bit of explanation....but I'll explain it here.  If you buy fava beans from the farmers' market early in the season (like now), they are very tender inside and only require a quick 3 minute blanching in boiling water.  Then cool and peel the skin away to reveal the tender bean inside.  People are under the impression that they are "hard to work with" because when you buy them later in the season or at the grocery store, where you have no idea about the freshness, the bean inside gets a tough coating around them that requires and extra step to remove.  So if you see them at the farmers' market in the next month, buy them and try them.  I'll try to post my fava bean dip recipe soon for a great first-timer's experience.

But until then......

Spring Paella
Serves 6

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 cups arborio rice

1 can diced tomatoes, drained  (reserve liquid to use if necessary)

¼ cup parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon saffron

2 cups vegetable broth

1 cup water

½  cup dry white wine

1 15-oz can garbanzo beans

1 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1” pieces

 2 carrots, diced

2 Italian chicken sausages, casing removed and crumbled in bite sized peices

½ lb peeled & deveinded shrimp

1/3 cup fresh peas (or frozen)

Salt & pepper to tast

• Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat.
•  Add onions and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.Add rice and sauté 2 minutes.
• Add tomatoes, parsley, garlic, paprika, and saffron, stirring to combine.
• Add broth, water and wine and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Add beans, asparagus and sausage.  Increase heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 15-20 more minutes, stirring often, until rice is tender.
• In the last few minutes add shrimp and peas.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

This one is worth the extra time....make a biiiig batch!

A Healthier Risotto

It was going to be one of those days.  First of all, I spent a good five minutes walking around my house looking for a pair of my "cheaters" reading glasses.  Once I found them I went to put them on my face only to find....that I was already wearing a pair! Not my finest moment. (And don't you think I should've found them faster, since I was wearing glasses??)

 

So it shouldn't be surprising that my brain cramp might not be done with me yet. The perfect blog entry came my way when Bauman College's Chef Marcella said, "Let's make a farro risotto today." I was excited because I had been toying with this idea for a while, but hadn't gotten around to it.  Farro (also known as spelt, which sounds much less sexy) is a whole grain, which you know I dig over "the white stuff."  In the case of risotto, that white stuff is arborio rice.  Tasty and so creamy, but not a whole lot going for it in the nutrition game. Farro, on the other hand, is a great source of protein and fiber (at least double that of most common commercial grains), stimulates the immune system and helps lower cholesterol.    

OK, back to the brain cramp.... I prepped the ingredients and diligently took pictures along the way of all the beautiful produce in preparation for my blog post:

...the rainbow carrots,

the sugar snap peas (THAT'S a labor of love and a good excuse to get a manicure the next day; fingernails aren't supposed to be green, are they???),

 

red onion, leeks, and asparagus.

And then what do you think happened?  Did you guess that I ate my entire bowl of wildly good risotto, left class, drove home and then realized as I walked in the door that I forgot to take a picture of the final product!!?

So bummer, guess I have to make it again.  And EAT it again.  Poor me.

Farro Risotto

Serves  4

3 cups vegetable broth (you know I love Trader Joe's low sodium one)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup chopped onion

1 bunch asparagus, cut on the diagonal in 1" pieces

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 cup farro

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (I used lemon thyme...because I grow it and it's my favorite)

1/3 cup peas

1/4 cup half and half

1/2 cup goat gouda (that's cheese, people)

1 teaspoon lemon zest

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

• Bring broth to a simmer over medium heat.  Keep warm, but don't allow to boil.
• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat.
• Add onions and saute, stirring occassionally, for five minutes until beginning to soften.
• Add asparagus and continue cooking 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add garlic and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Stir in farro and toast for 2 minutes.
• Begin adding broth a half a cup at a time and stirring constanlty until liquid is absorbed.  (Sometimes I add water to the broth if I start to run low, so I am sure to have enough warm liquid to add; you never want to add cold liquid)
• Continue adding broth a little at a time until farro is soft, about 20 to 30 minutes.
• Add peas, thyme, half and half and cheese.  Stir until fully combined.
• Stir in lemon zest and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Top with chopped nuts.

Thank me later!!!