Summer’s array of garden vegetables seems made for risotto – until I turn on the stovetop. Fortunately, a restaurant trick produces two meals with less heat. I get risotto on the table the first night but refrigerate half of the rice. Later that week, dinner takes under 10 minutes and tastes freshly made, rather than left over.
You can prep all of the vegetables the first night, store half separately from the rice and impart new flavor with different just-minced herbs. For a distinctive second meal, choose and chop different vegetables.
Two-Meal Garden Risotto
Serves 2-3 per meal
Night 1:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic or 4 garlic scapes, minced
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1-1/2 cups Arborio rice
4-1/2 cups vegetable stock, warmed
1 cup chopped fresh vegetables, such as broccoli, carrots, peppers, zucchini and beans
1/4 cup white wine or water
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon slivered fresh basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Night 2:
Reserved cooked rice
1/2 cup water
1 cup chopped fresh vegetables, same or different types
1/4 cup white wine (optional)
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano
1-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
In a large, heavy-bottom pot or skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and then sauté the onion for about two minutes. Add the garlic, paprika and rice, stirring for one minute, until coated. Add about 1 cup of warm stock and let the rice simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has been absorbed. Continue the process, adding about 1/2 cup of stock at a time.
After about 15 minutes, when you have added most of the stock and the rice is becoming tender with a still-firm center, remove the pot from the heat. Spread about half of the rice (about 2-1/4 cups) in a 9-by-13 inch baking pan as a thin, even layer; stir occasionally until cool. Transfer the cooled rice to a lidded container and refrigerate for up to a week.
To the rice still in the pot, add the remaining stock, the wine or water and night 1’s vegetables. Cook for about five minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the risotto is tender. Stir in the butter and Parmesan until they melt. Fold in the basil. Taste, adding salt and pepper as needed. Turn off the heat and let rest for about two minutes before serving.
On night 2, transfer the reserved rice from its refrigerated container to a large, heavy-bottom skillet, along with 1/2 cup of water, any wine and night 2’s vegetables. Bring the mixture to a bubble over medium heat, stirring constantly, and cook for about five minutes, until the risotto is tender. Finish as you did on night 1, stirring in butter and cheese and then fresh herbs plus salt and pepper as needed.
Julie Laing is a Bigfork-based cookbook author and food blogger. Learn more about this month’s cocktail and sushi workshops at TwiceAsTasty.com.