SPRING RISOTTO: 2 WAYS

Eating seasonally has many advantages [disease prevention, budget-friendly, healthy for body and planet, etc.] but one of the greatest is the anticipation that comes with spring.

My guess is many who take on the frozen tundra [otherwise known as Michigan or any other northern state] anticipate the melt of spring - the receding plow piles, the bit of green here and there, the buds and then blossoms, the daffodils and tulips and trilliums, a green horizon. Spring is all about re-birth, newness, a fresh start that even the concrete-bound cannot ignore.

But there is something even richer about orienting your diet around the change in weather. 

By aligning my diet with the season, I've experienced an anticipation for spring that is somehow deeper, more gut-felt. Everyone can feel spring in their skin but not all experience spring in there soul.

It makes a person slow down.

Way down.

Because we've waited all year for this.

We've come through winter for this.

There is the refusal to rush.

This is why I love risotto. In the same way waiting out winter causes me to pause and enjoy every bite of spring, risotto begs me to stop and feel every bit of cooking. It puts me in front of a warm stove on a chilly spring evening and then tells me to stay and stir. That's it. Stay and stir. Risotto doesn't demand. It isn't fussy. It rarely lets me down. It simply asks that I do two things really well: stay and stir.

May you find yourself at the stove with a counter full of spring and a soul bursting with thanks for the willingness to simply stay and stir.

[FIRST, A THING ABOUT RAMPS*]

Ramps are one of my favorite spring-time foods mainly because they have to be foraged. I feel a touch wild when I eat them, like I'm connecting to my hunter-gatherer side [although right now I depend on other hunters to gather]. They seem pure in the best, deepest sense. Untouched by our human hands. There is beauty in what we create and do and think up as humans [and of course danger] but there is also a lot of splendor in the simple, unchanged.

So it is with ramps. Ramps sit in the onion family. They're kind of like leek meets garlic and goes wild.

They are similar to onions, leeks, and garlic in medicinal benefits - antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial, anticarcinogenic and tonify the body, meaning they kind of work on that "stuck" feeling, the blahs if you will.

Essentially they are the best bang for your buck - tons of health benefits for the whole body. For free.

[THE RECIPE WITH ARBORIO RICE]

1/2 onion, chopped
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 - 4 cloves of garlic, minced

2 c. arborio rice

1 c. dry white wine or 1/4 c. white wine vinegar
6 - 8 c. of vegetable broth
1 bunch wild ramps*, chopped and separated white parts and green parts
1/3 c. chopped fresh parsley
4 - 6 c. of fresh spring greens [chard, spinach, arugula, kale]
salt and pepper to taste

Warm the oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Add onion, ramp whites, and garlic. Stir occasionally until onion becomes translucent. In a separate pot, warm vegetable broth. Add rice to the onion, ramp whites, and garlic and stir continuously for a minute or so. Pour in white wine and stir continuously until the wine has almost evaporated completely. Now, add vegetable broth one cup at a time, waiting until each cup has evaporated before adding the next. Stir continuously. Mixture should bubble gently but not boil. Once you have worked through all of the broth [or reach the texture you desire], turn heat to low and add ramp greens, parsley, and spring greens. Stir until wilted and bright green. Season with salt and pepper to taste.


[THE RECIPE WITH BLACK RICE]

1/2 onion, chopped
2 T. extra virgin olive oil + 1 T.
2 cloves of garlic, minced
6 - 8 dried mushrooms, soaked to soften and then minced

1 1/2 c. black rice, rinsed and drained

1 c. dry white wine or 1/4 c. white wine vinegar

4 c. vegetable broth
2 - 4 c. water
1 - 2 T. dulse flakes [optional]
6 c. mix of chopped spinach, arugula, and kale
3 - 4 c. asparagus, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
sea salt and pepper, to taste


First, saute asparagus in 1 T. olive oil until bright green and tender but not soft. Set aside. Warm the oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Add onion, mushrooms, and garlic. Stir occasionally until onion becomes translucent. In a separate pot, warm vegetable broth and 2 cups or water. Add rice to the onion, mushrooms, and garlic and stir continuously for a minute or so. Pour in white wine and stir continuously until the wine has almost evaporated completely. Now, add vegetable broth one cup at a time, waiting until each cup has evaporated before adding the next. Stir continuously. Mixture should bubble gently but not boil. Once you have worked through all of the broth [or reach the texture you desire], turn heat to low and add dulse flakes, spring greens, and sauteed asparagus. Stir until wilted and bright green. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

PUMPKIN RISOTTO

Well, here at Chateau VanderKlok our halls our decked, our tree is trimmed, the stockings are hung by the fireplace flue, presents are safely tucked away from nondiscriminatory 2-year-old hands, and Christmas music is on nearly 24/7. It is clear to most that this my favorite time of year. I love the jolly-ness of it all. The cheer. The lights, the stories, the glitz and the glam. And the food. I LOVE the food.

Risotto tops the list as one of my favorite snowy-day, holiday treats. It's thick and creamy and comforting and warm. If you haven't tried it I urge you to give it a chance. If you have, well than here is my gift to you!  

May you find ways to make this time of season extra special and completely indulge in the beauty of it all. 

[THE RECIPE]
Adapted from Rachel Ray Magazine / Oct 2012 Issue / pg. 108

3 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 medium - large carrots, finely chopped
2 large [or 4 small] cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 rib of celery, finely chopped
1 T. turmeric
pinch of nutmeg
1 1/2 c. arborio rice
1/4 c. cooking wine
1 c. pumpkin or winter squash puree
4 c. vegetable broth

In a medium saucepan warm oil. Carefully add chopped vegetables and saute until onions become translucent, approximately 7 - 10 minutes. Add turmeric and nutmeg and stir for 1 minute. Add arborio rice to the pot and saute, stirring constantly, for an additional 3 - 5 minutes. Pour in cooking wine. Cook, stirring frequently, until liquid has almost completely evaporated. Add pumpkin or squash puree and stir. Pour in vegetable broth, 1 cup at a time, stirring frequently until each cup of liquid has evaporated [liquid should evaporate prior to adding the next cup]. Mixture should be soft and creamy when done. Add more liquid if necessary.

GRANOLA PARFAIT

Over the last few weeks since I last updated this blog I have been in constant motion prepping for baby #2, freezing berries in mass amounts, traipsing through the Farmer's Market collecting as many fresh finds as possible, taking in some daily yoga [my body depends on it these days], potty training my now 2 year old and acting as her constant companion as this active "twos" stage really sets in [which means lots of puzzles, blocks, and coloring], having frequent [okay, daily] watermelon picnics, and consuming a ridiculous amount of blueberries. Phew! 

Needless to say, raw has been my mantra and easy my battle cry - preferably both together. I have also taken in my favorite restaurant a time or two [if you are in the area you MUST try Marie Catrib's]. It is at this cozy little nook of mine that I fell in love with her granola. It's sweet and nutty and chewy and perfect topped with fresh blueberries. The unfortunate part of this new found relationship is that I don't live close enough to pacify my now daily craving for this oat-filled goodness. So I did what any self-proclaimed chef-but-not-so-much would do....I came up with a recipe of my own that is close enough to fool those demanding taste buds of mine.

As my pregnancy winds down to weeks [soon to be days!] rather than months, these posts may become a bit more sporadic [my extreme apologies here]. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy previous posts and uncover hidden treasures found in the recipe index. May you find ways to thoroughly enjoy these summer months; take in as much melon as you can [and then eat some more!]; put away a thing or two by freezing, drying, and / or canning; take a stroll at the beach; make some popsicles; and use this time to take in as many raw, unprocessed foods as possible.

Here's to summer and cheers to an almost family of four!

[THE RECIPE]

6 c. gluten-free old-fashioned oats
2 c. dried, unsweetened coconut [shredded or finely chopped flakes]
1/2 c. raw sesame seeds
1/2 c. raw sunflower seeds
1 c. raw walnuts, slightly chopped
1 c. raw almonds, slightly chopped
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. celtic sea salt
1 to 1-1/4 c. grapeseed oil [organic, unrefined, unfiltered, cold pressed]
1 c. local honey [raw, unprocessed, unfiltered]
1 - 2 T. blackstrap molasses
splash or two of almond extract [optional]
splash or two of coconut extract [optional]

1/2 c. raisins
1/2 c. dried unsulphured apricots, chopped
2 c. dried unsulphured apples, chopped

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except dried fruit. Make sure all the ingredients are thoroughly tossed together. Spread on two parchment lined baking sheets. Bake in a preheated oven at 250 degrees for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 180 degrees and bake an additional 25 minutes. Allow to cool on the counter completely.

Once granola is cooled, place in a large bowl and mix in dried fruit. Store in an airtight container for a week or less at room temperature or place in freezer for longer storage.

[TO SERVE]

Choose your choice of plain yogurt [coconut, nut, Greek, or goat's milk] or non-dairy milk. Add a touch of honey or maple syrup [optional] to sweeten the yogurt a little. I like to use plain yogurt and add my own sweetener so I can control the amount and type of sugar. The granola is sweet so the yogurt doesn't necessarily have to be. Mix well.

Top yogurt or milk with granola and berries of choice. Serve immediately!

KALE SAUTE WITH MILLET

The larger and larger my belly grows, the more and more I am hunting out easy, nutritious meals to feed my family and I. For some ridiculous reason my energy has been sapped yet my motivation stays strong. This makes for quite the volatile mix of emotions [something I am sure my husband would say "Amen!" to - he's been such a trooper]. Mix in a week of 90+ degree days and UGH, UGH, UGH! 

Today we actually got a break in the heat [evidence that there is a God and he does answer prayers!] and I actually have a bit more energy than in the past week thanks to some chia seeds, a relatively good night's rest, 70s, a little rain, and a bit of help from "Bep" [ie. my mom]. My initial thought is to spend this little treasure I've been given as quickly as possible knowing that it will most likely disappear after one night of tossing and turning or another few days of potty training. Yet the more wise voice inside [that would be my husband's voice as I have no sense of limitations whatsoever] begs me to take it easy - do a little more than normal but not too much and still "rest" for the most part. This receives one big, heavy, defeating *SIGH*. But I submit knowing it is for the best.

So, back to easy meals. This one has become one of my favorites, especially for lunch. You can make a large batch and have quite a few lunches to go around. I have been dutifully stocking the freezer with such meals knowing that cooking will fall a few notches down the priority list in month or two.

Oh, and I have to give props to my mom for introducing me to using mushrooms in this way. She sauteed asparagus in a similar manner and I was hooked. Thanks mom!


[FOOD OR FUNGUS?]

A word about mushrooms - I generally can't bring myself to swallow them. I think it may be the texture but seriously, gross! Mushrooms are one of those foods that I go back to again and again with childlike faith, desperately hoping that maybe this time I'll think they are delicious.

So why do I continue to work at acquiring a taste for something so small, spongy, and well, weird?

Mushrooms are amazingly effective detoxifiers, especially when it comes to fat in the blood [think cholesterol], pathogens [bad bacteria, viruses, toxins, etc.], and mucus [for example, respiratory infections]. Stronger mushrooms, such as reishi, are highly valued in the eastern countries and believed to increase longevity [meaning good health throughout life]. Mushrooms are high in protein [for vegetarians and vegan, cha ching!] and host a good amount of vitamin B2 and zinc as well.

Reishi mushrooms in particular can be helpful when treating AIDS, leaky gut syndrome, Epstein-Barr, and chronic bronchitis. Need another reason to add them to your diet? They are used to aid sleep, keep you "regular", and lower cholesterol. Taking a reishi tincture is a great way to get these benefits if cooking with them is a bit too much [although mushrooms in general are known in the culinary world to improve the flavor of whatever they are cooked with so I guess you can make the call].

Shitake mushrooms have immune boosting, antiviral, and antitumor properties and work to specifically protect the cardiovascular system. Of course this is of no interest to us Americans as we don't struggle with any of these issues...

In addition to having similar uses as the reishi mushroom, they are also used to treat environmental allergies, candidiasis infections, frequent flus and colds and are rich in vitamins D, B2, and B12 [and we thought we needed to consume obnoxious amounts of fortified foods and supplements to get these rare nutrients!].

If mushrooms give you the willies [something I understand all too well!], I hope you continue to explore ways to get them in your diet. May this recipe be the perfect place to start.


[THE RECIPE]

For the millet:

2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped into small pieces
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 c. of millet [I love this with millet but you can also use brown rice or quinoa]
1 3/4 c. homemade [or gluten-free] vegetable broth

Rinse dry millet well in a fine mesh strainer and set aside. Heat oil in a medium size saucepan. Once warmed [not smoking], add onion and saute until onion begins to brown [5 - 7 minutes]. Add garlic and saute an additional minute. Add dried millet and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until millet is fragrant and toasted [7 - 10 minutes, it may turn a deep golden or begin to brown but shouldn't burn]. Carefully add broth [it will sizzle and may splatter a little], stir, and cover. Bring to boil and then reduce to low. Do not stir with millet is cooking. Cook until all of the liquid has been absorbed.


For the veggies:

1 - 2 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 dried shitake mushrooms, soaked and finely chopped [to soak, place mushrooms in water for 10 - 20 minutes to soften, drain] or use mushroom of choice
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
3 - 4 c. of loosely packed, chopped kale leaves
sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

While millet is cooking, heat olive oil in a medium to large cast iron skillet. Once the oil is warmed [not smoking] add mushrooms and saute for 3 - 5 minutes or until mushrooms are deep brown and soft. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute. Toss in kale and stir. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes or until the kale is just wilted and bright green. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper. Serve over cooked millet.