half the garden risotto

it's a beautiful time of year in the garden, especially since lots of things are feeding us so plentifully!

this recipe works with anything you have at hand: silverbeet (chard), parsley, bay leaves and lemon were the main things available to me- i added a carrot for colour and texture.

1c arborio rice

3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed

vegetables, cut into 1-2cm pieces

2tbs margarine

2tbs olive oil

1-1.5L stock, warmed

200ml white wine (preferably dry)

salt, pepper to taste

toasted almonds to serve (optional)

fry garlic in butter and oil on low for 2 minutes. add any hard vegetables (carrot, celery, leek) and cook for 3-5 minutes. stir in rice, coat well with oil.

add in stock about half a cup at a time; gently stir until liquid is mostly absorbed. add another half cup; stir until absorbed. 

gently stir in any vegetables that need cooking (ie not soft leaves)- mushrooms, green beans etc. 

after 3-4 measures of stock, add in half the wine, and stir until absorbed. continue doing this, tasting how cooked the rice periodically. if you have used all your liquid and the rice is not cooked to your liking, add a little water and keep stirring.

when the rice is almost done, gently fold in any soft vegetables (spinach, silverbeet leaves), fold in grated rind of one lemon, and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.