* Risotto with Pumpkin and Rosemary
* Five Bean Salad
Risotto With Pumpkin And Rosemary
Hotel Cipriani, Venice, Italy
Makes 4 to 6 servings
6 cups homemade or low-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups cubed pumpkin or other squash
1 tablespoon minced garlic (2 to 3 cloves)
1 tablespoon dried rosemary, crumbled
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup diced onion
2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Whole small pumpkin, seeded and cleaned out, to be used as a serving
bowl (optional)
1. In a medium saucepan, slowly heat the chicken broth to a simmer.
2. In a 10- or 12-inch skillet or saucepan, heat the oil. Add the pumpkin,
garlic, rosemary, and 1/4 of the teaspoon salt and half the pepper. Cook,
over medium heat, stirring frequently until the pumpkin is tender, about
10 minutes. Remove the cooked pumpkin from the pan and set aside.
3. In the same pan, melt half the butter. Add the onion and cook over
medium heat, for 2 to 4 minutes, until softened. Add the rice, stir to
coat with the butter, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Pour 1/2 cup of the hot broth into the rice and stir with a wooden
spoon, until absorbed. Continue with the rest of the broth, adding 1/2 cup
at a time and letting each addition be absorbed completely into the rice
before adding more liquid. The constant stirring ensures that the rice
will release its starch into the cooking liquid, resulting in the
characteristic creamy risotto texture. When half the liquid has been used,
about 10 to 12 minutes, add the pumpkin. Finish adding the remaining
broth, 1/2 cup at a time, until all the broth is absorbed and the rice is
cooked but slightly al dente.
5. Swirl in the remaining butter and the cheese and season with the
remaining salt and pepper. Serve the risotto immediately in warm bowls or
in the hollowed-out pumpkin.
Copyright 1995 Acorn Associates, Ltd.
Five Bean Salad
La Cite, New York, New York
Makes 12 servings
1 cup dried (1/2 pound) black beans, soaked overnight, or 1+1/2 cups
canned black beans
1 cup dried (1/2 pound) white beans, soaked overnight, or 1+1/2 cups
canned white beans
1 cup dried (1/2 pound) red kidney beans, soaked overnight, or 1+1/2 cups
canned red kidney beans
2 cups green string beans, washed and ends snapped off
2 cups yellow string beans, washed and ends snapped off
6 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Leaves of one branch of fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 fresh tomatoes, chopped
3 small heads of your favorite greens, cleaned and torn into bite-sized
pieces
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1. Rinse and drain the black, white, and red dried beans. Place each in a
separate medium saucepan and cover with water. Cook according to
directions on the packages, until tender. Drain well. (If using canned
beans, rinse well and drain.)
2. Blanch the green and yellow string beans in separate pots of boiling
water for about 1 minute. Drain and rinse in cold water to stop the
cooking.
3. In a large bowl, toss together all five beans. Add the olive oil,
pepper, and thyme. Stir well. Add the tomatoes and toss. Refrigerate for
at least 1 hour.
4. Just before serving, arrange the mixed greens on salad plates. Add the
red wine vinegar to the beans and toss again. Serve the beans on the
greens.
Copyright 1995 Acorn Associates, Ltd.
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