Brilliant Beet Risotto

Before I share the recipe for one of the more lovely risottos I've ever made, I have to admit that I was inspired by a six-year old.

It's true. The August 2007 Food & Wine magazine featured a number of prodigious child chefs. One of them, little Alex Donowitz, bowled me over. Not only with his crazy hair (so cute). But also with his thoughts about beets.

Alexander Donowitz, who's been a vegetarian for all of his six years, combined two of his favorite ingredients—beets ("because red is my favorite color")and cheddar cheese—to create this super-creamy, vibrant risotto. "I think I'm the only kid in my class who eats beets," he says. (FOOD &
WINE)

I loved the idea of putting the raw beets in the food processor so that they could cook right along with the risotto, and I was very intrigued by the cheddar/beet combination. But I'm hopeless at actually following a recipe. So, of course, something had to change. I had to "up" the beet quotient (cuz that's what I do). Risotto MUST have garlic at our house. And we added a bit of horseradish to act as a foil for the sweetness of the beets, and we subbed a locally produced horseradish cheddar to give it a bit of additional kick. It turned out to be a truly fantastic combination -- one that is sure to become a classic at BURP!

Brilliant Beet Risotto



©BURP! Where Food Happens

July CSA Dinner

So, Saturday night we celebrated the BEAUTY and bliss of fresh produce.
How so? you might ask.
By having a CSA dinner with our friends S & N, of course.

This tradition began two springs ago when we took a first big step toward "locavorishness" by subscribing to our local CSA. Rather than tackling an entire box of veggies on our own (which leaves us room in the fridge for gardening and farmers' marketing and such), we decided to split our share with Steph & Nate.

When Steph suggested that we consider hosting celebratory meals with our bounty, we all thought it was a brilliant plan. After all, what could be better than feasting on farm-fresh produce (some of which is literally HOURS from its harvest) with good friends? We couldn't think of much. And so, the CSA dinner was born.

Our first dinner this CSA season consisted of a great salad, fantastic fresh mozzarella skewers with rosemary, beet raita with pita chips, and a fantastic rhubarb crisp for dessert.

Saturday's feast was a bit less "on" insofar as sticking to our CSA box, but it was still pretty decent:

• Grilled catfish tacos
• Guacamole
• Pineapple salsa
• Chipotle coleslaw (for the fish tacos) -- made with crisp red cabbage
• Chile-lime marinated yellow squash
• Grilled corn on the cob
• Cuban Sidecars (for refreshment)
• Dessert: Bayless' chocolate pecan pie bars

OK -- so the corn idea might have been a bit premature. And pineapple and avocadoes are pretty far from being "local" fare. But, really, everything was pretty fresh. And really quite fabulous. Despite the (somewhat oppressive heat), we sat outside in the yard, basking in the evening breeze and just enjoying our time together.

And isn't that what it's all about anyhow?

©BURP! Where Food Happens