Risotto with Greens

 

The cauliflower in the Pond still isn't flowering, and I wanted to make space for fall greens and more pea plants.  Time to harvest some more leaves.  This time, I decided to stew them into risotto.

This recipe will work with any leafy green you prefer.  Spinach, collards, mustard, kale, arugula, whatever.  The only difference is when they should be added.  Tougher greens like my cauliflower or, say, kale will go in almost at the beginning of the risotto process.  Delicate spinach and arugula can be added in the last five minutes.  And 8 cups sounds like a lot of vegetables, but it cooks down.  Two cups of raw greens really is a serving.

The cheese on top is Wisconsin white cheddar curds, what you would use for poutine.  I was reaching for the feta when I saw them and decided to switch plans.  Any cheese works here, or you could do without.

*1 C dry risotto
1 qt unsalted chicken stock
*1/2 C diced onion
*1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tb oil
*1/4 C white wine or sherry (optional)
*8 C chopped or chiffonade leafy greens
salt and pepper to taste
1 C shredded or crumbled cheese of choice

1.  Heat stock to a simmer in a saucepan.  Keep warm on the side with a ladle in it.

2.  In a large saucepan or soup pot, heat oil over medium-high.  Add onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add rice and stir to glaze in the oil until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes.

3.  Add wine, if using, and allow rice to absorb liquid.  Lower heat to medium-low.  Stirring frequently, add stock a ladle at a time, allowing the rice to absorb the liquid before adding more.

4.  For tough greens, add to the pot after the second ladle of liquid.  It will get awkward to stir, but the rice will still absorb what it needs.  If the greens are not wilting after ten minutes, add a ladle of stock and cover the pot for five minutes to steam them.  Then you can go back to stir-and-add.

5.  If using a tender green, add to the pot with the next-to-last ladle of stock.  That will give it about 5 minutes to wilt into the rice.

6.  When rice is cooked, taste and add salt and pepper.  If you weren't able to find unsalted or low-sodium stock, you might not have to add salt.  Serve hot with cheese on top.

Difficulty rating  :)