Those wedges in the back? Delicious turnips.
More and more, it seems my meals are centered on what's in my vegetable box. That's not a bad thing, but you must be flexible. I needed to use up some red onions and kale, and as I mentioned the other day, my cupboards are overflowing with risotto rice.
Thus was Red Onion and Kale Risotto born.
That's one of the things I love about risotto. You can take a basic recipe—olive oil, risotto rice, stock, and wine—and toss whatever you've got in your veg bin into the mix. You feel like a goddess when you present your family with a bowl of steaming, aromatic risotto.
And when you cleverly disguise turnips with a sweet ginger glaze to serve alongside, you are surely a magician.
I happen to like turnips, even when they taste like turnips, but these roasted niblets rose above the turnip genre. Try them this way if you've turned up your nose at turnips in the past.
Next, on to the the kolhrabi and fennel.
Red Onion and Kale Risotto
2 red onions, sliced
olive oil
3 cups kale, chopped
1 1/4 cup carnoli rice (or arborio)
2-3 cups vegetable stock
1 cup white wine, slightly warmed
salt, pepper to taste
In a large, heavy skillet or dutch oven, saute red onion in a couple tablespoons olive oil until it is almost softened, about 5 or 6 minutes. Add rice and stir until it's coated with the olive oil.
Add 1/2 cup wine; stir until it's incorporated into the rice mixture. Add 1/2 cup of the stock, stirring until it's incorporated. Add the kale, and another 1/2 cup of the stock. Carry on adding the stock, 1/2 cup at a time, and toward the end of the 20 minute cooking time, add the rest of the wine. Stir, and cover the pot. Let the mixture cook a few more minutes, then add another glug of olive oil, salt and pepper to your taste, and serve.
Note: Keep the heat at an even, medium temperature throughout. Keep the stock and wine at a slightly warm temperature. Use homemade stock you've seasoned with plenty of herbs (oregano, thyme, dill, etc.) if possible, or good quality store-bought stock. The stock imparts the flavor to the dish, as there are very little seasonings added.
Roasted Root Vegetables w/ginger glaze
You can use any root vegetables, but I used turnips and carrots.
About 3-4 cups root vegetables, cut in wedges or sticks
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons margarine
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, grated
1/4 cup water
Place the vegetables in a baking pan and toss with the olive oil. (Use just enough olive oil to coat the vegetables.) Bake in a hot oven (375F/190C) for about an hour. Meanwhile, make the glaze: Melt the margarine in a small pan over low heat. Add the maple syrup and ginger, stir. Add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the mixture is reduced and thickened.
Pour over baked root vegetables, and continue to bake for five minutes more. Serve warm.
Note: Don't worry if the vegetables look brown; the browning from the prolonged roasting merely makes them sweeter.
