Another Risotto

Tonight I made some “let’s see what I have in the kitchen/garden” risotto that was different enough from my last risotto recipe to warrant its own post. A note on the butter: I bought some butter from the farmer’s market that was “European style,” which the vendor explained meant it had more fat in it. It’s pretty freakin tasty. Anyway…

Ingredients

• 1-2 Tablespoons of butter or olive oil or a combination
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1-2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped
• handful of fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 thyme sprigs
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 2/3 cup white wine
• 2 cups rice
• 6 Tablespoons butter
• A few tablespoons of shredded havarti cheese
• A few small, fresh tomatoes, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

 

Instructions

1. Heat oil/butter in a large pot
2. Toss onion, carrots, garlic, and pepper and cook for 5 minutes on med-high heat, stirring occasionally
3. Add basil, parsley, and thyme and stir to coat
4. Add rice and cook until it starts to brown, stirring frequently so it doesn’t burn
5. Add wine and cook until absorbed by rice
6. Add stock 1 cup at a time and stir until absorbed by rice before adding next cup
7. Remove the pot from heat, add the rest of the butter and shred in the havarti cheese (not too much, just a bit for flavor)
8. Toss in fresh tomatoes