Finally, we have some rain! Many of the farmers I work with have been very stressed about the droughty weather, so I was grateful to see some moisture in the forecast.
It also put me in the wood for warm, comforting bowls of nourishment. Which led me to this recipe! Risotto is one of those excellent dishes that has a reputation for being finnicky, but I think is actually quite forgiving. You can customize the ingredients as much as you want, and at the end you’re going to dump a load of butter and parm into it – so how bad could it really be?
The trick is patience and tasting – during the simmering step you’ll want to take things low and slow. Sometimes it feels like that rice is never going to cook and you’ll be crunchin grains forever, but I promise, one scoop of broth will be the magic touch that pushes the dish toward the finish line. And the farm veg really brighten up this dish! I hope you give it a try.
Eggplant Risotto
Ingredients
- 3 eggplants
- 2-3 peppers
- 10-12 cherry tomatoes
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- 1/2 onion
- olive oil
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 900 mL broth of choice I used mushroom for the umami flavour
- 1 1/2 cup arborio rice
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan I splurged for the expensive stuff to really make this recipe shine
- salt and pepper
Instructions
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Large dice your eggplant (approx. half inch cubes). In a large pot, heat a drizzle of oil, add eggplant and a dash of salt and pepper. Cook on medium, stirring frequently, until eggplant is slightly browned and tender. Remove from the pot and set aside.
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While the eggplant is cooking, dice peppers, quarter cherry tomatoes, dice the half onion and crush then dice the garlic. Once eggplants are removed from the pot, add a new drizzle of oil and add the garlic and onion. Cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes. Then add the peppers and tomatoes. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until moisture is released and peppers are beginning to soften.
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Meanwhile, in a separate pot, heat your broth on low. Don't let it boil, just keep it warm – having the broth already heated helps your risotto cook consistently.
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To the pot of veggies, add your arborio rice and toast for 1-2 minutes on low heat, using a wooden spoon to mix. Add the white wine vinegar to the pot and stir until it combines/absorbs/cooks off. (Most recipes call for white wine here – I'm a non-drinker so we never have it around and I've always subbed in the vinegar).
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Now the fun part! Use a measuring spoon to add 1/2 – 3/4 cups of the heated broth to the risotto pot at a time, letting cook for 3-4 minutes in between additions. You'll want to keep the heat at a low simmer, and stir consistently. Starches will release from the rice, thickening the liquid, and it's easy for the bottom to burn – but that's okay. Just keep stirring and add more liquid.
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Once you've added about 2 cups and the risotto has been cooking for 15-20 minutes, you should start tasting the arborio. It cooks like a pasta, and you'll know it's ready when it feels al dente (a little chewy, but no longer crunchy). Taste frequently – if you overshoot your risotto will be mush (albeit tasty mush).
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Once the arborio is al dente, remove the pot from heat. Stir in the butter and parmesan, and then let sit for 2-3 minutes for the flavours to combine and liquid to absorb.
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Serve hot, and garnish with additional cheese, herbs, or fresh cracked pepper!