Blue Ceramic Bowl A hand-built plate, decorated with a wax-resist technique, made by Liz Rodriguez Ceramics of Rockland MA. Available at Local Pottery, Norwell MA.
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- several sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves stripped from stem and chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- pinch of salt
- freshly ground pepper
- 2 cloves of garlic
- ¾ cup Arborio rice
- 2 cups vegetable or other broth, hot
- 10 ounces fresh beets, roasted or steamed, peeled, and cut bite-size
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 1-2 tablespoons butter, to taste
Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, a pinch of salt and a grinding of pepper, and cook until softened, about 1 to 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and rice, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth ½ cup at a time, cooking and stirring each addition until most of the liquid has been absorbed before adding more. The rice should be al dente at the end of this step, which takes about 15 minutes.
Stir in the beets and thyme. Cook until rice turns a deep red-purple, an additional 1 to 2 minutes. If rice is not then perfectly tender, add a splash or two more hot broth or water and continue stirring over low heat. When perfect, remove from heat, check seasonings, and fold in cheese and butter.
Serves 4 as a side dish, 2 as a main.
Kendra Murray is passionate about local and environmentally friendly living. After several years at SEMAP, Kendra’s love for local farms, food, and gardening deepened and turned into a lifestyle. Kendra currently works as the Development & Outreach Specialist at the Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust.
