monday night risotto

Full Sunday roast last night ..which means a jug of fresh stock.

I do get the idea that you’re supposed to gently cook risotto, stirring, adding stock, and stirring some more. Preferably with a cold glass of wine and some decent music playing (ideally something from Snow Patrol or maybe some early Coldplay…perhaps The Killers). There’s not time for that kind of carry-on around here. I use the cheats version and it comes out just fine. In fact, this is one of the most popular family meals that everyone will happily scoff down without requiring it to be deconstructed or messed around with – result.

Cook onion, garlic and bacon in butter, add any leftover roast chicken, a mug of risotto rice, throw on a jug (about a litre) of stock, cover and simmer for half an hour until the stock is absorbed. Add spme frozen peas, maybe some spinach. Great for a rainy night. Even better with a serious covering of parmesan cheese.

salmon, leek and pea risotto

Some things just work.

lazy girl’s pea and parmesan risotto with bacon and silverbeet and a side salad of shaved courgette, beetroot, avocado and feta

For those of us who live on Wellington’s rugged South Coast, where the wind is relentless and the soil is quite frankly a bit rubbish for growing stuff in, then cooking with freshly picked produce is a rare pleasure. Our own little garden has not exactly provided bountiful suppers, and so it was a real reat to discover Houghton Valley Community Garden this afternoon.

J sat contentedly on the camomile lawn surveying the bulging beds below, while the very friendly locals explained the basics of community gardening… there are no rules , no chiefs – muck in, take what you like and enjoy the garden. The sun shone, there was hot tea and they didn’t laugh when I mistook the silverbeet for rhubarb. So this is the first in what I hope will be many posts inspired by produce from the community garden.

I was planning on making a risotto for dinner, and even had ideas of simmering and stirring it slowly adding the stock ladle by ladle.. but then we spent too long out enjoying the Autumn sunshine and arrived home to the clock ticking rapidly towards bedtime and the kids demanding food with some sense of immediacy.

Put aside thoughts of ‘proper’ risotto and went for the lazy girl’s version instead. Start with a nob of butter and a few chopped garlic cloves then add a mug of risotto rice and about a pint of fresh chicken stock. Cover it, bring it to the boil and then turn it down to simmer.  In a separate pan cook some chopped streaky bacon with silverbeet. The silverbeet was so fresh it was literally alive (had to carefully wash off a few spiders – luckily just the little ones!). While everything cooked I shaved the garden fresh courgette  and beetroot with some chunks of avocado and crumbled feta.. oh and not forgetting the 3 cherry tomatoes from our own garden. After about 20 – 25 mins put some frozen peas and grated parmesan in the risotto – then after a couple more minutes it’s cooked. Dish it up with the bacon and silverbeet on top of the rice – squeeze of lemon over to help absorb the iron from the silverbeet (and because it tastes good) and the salad on the side – dressed with a little olive oil, apple cider vinegar and more lemon juice.

quick pea, parsley and parmesan risotto with crispy bacon and a spinach, zucchini and avocado salad

Risotto in this house has become a bit of an art form – if I get it right it’s second only in popularity to chips shop fish and chips and a whole lot healthier but there is an ever changing dispute over what should be in it .. today, despite bacon being one of D’s favourite things he informed me he didn’t want bacon in the risotto – just peas. So grilled the bacon separately which had the added advantage that it crisped up and could be mixed in at the end or scattered over the top. It’s a fine balancing act between catering for everyone’s individual preferences to the point that they eat and enjoy the meal and encouraging the kids to just eat it how I want to make it… I’m all for their being one meal and us all having the same but if adapting it slightly without creating a  lot of extra work means it gets eaten then I’m pretty open to that too.

Onion and garlic cooked off for a few minute till soft then cup of risotto rice and a jug of homemade chicken stock, cover and cook for half an hour , add a large mug of peas, a handful of chopped parsley, a good grate of parmesan, salt and pepper – give peas a couple of mins to cook and it’s good to go.

chicken, bacon, celery and sage risotto

When I have time I quite like making a proper risotto – the type where you stand stirring the pan and easing the stock in bit by bit. With all the kids under feet I’ve worked out a way of cheating which involves cooking the onions, garlic, celery and bacon together – then added the leftover roast chicken from last night , some sage leaves, a cup of risotto rice and the chicken stock made from last night’s bones. Let the whole thing simmer for half an hour until all the stock absorbed and it’s good to go with parmesan. B announced it’s his favourite meal even eating the celery despite having a free pass to pick it out so I guess it counts as a success.