A Suburghian Girl Recipe: Summertime Risotto

What better way to display the green goodness of summertime than in a risotto?  Farmers markets, friends' gardens, and local grocers are teeming now with beautiful green zucchinis and artichokes of all shapes and sizes. (Okay, maybe just the grocers have the artichokes since Pennsylvania's climate isn't exactly conducive to growing them. ;) )  Inspired by the season, a zucchini from a friend's garden, and some beautiful baby artichokes from Delallo Italian Marketplace, I set out to make one of my favorite adult comfort foods with a fresh, summery twist.   

To start your risotto, pour one 34 ounce container of chicken broth (I use organic just because the taste is so much better) into a medium sauce pan and start to heat slowly over medium heat.  Watch it and don't let it boil.  We just want to warm the broth to add to the rice and veggies later. ;)

In the meanwhile, finely chop one medium shallot and set aside.  Slice the tops and the ends off of 8-10 baby artichokes.  Pull off all of the tough outer leaves of the artichokes, usually 3-4 layers.  Slice each artichoke into quarters.  Dice one medium zucchini. 

Heat 1 tbsp of butter and 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large pot.  Once the butter has melted, add the shallot and saute for 2 minutes until golden and soft.  Now add the artichoke quarters. Saute for 3 more minutes.  At this point, I add a splash of white wine to help soften the artichokes and cook them.  Then throw in your diced zucchini.  Sprinkle sea salt over the veggie mixture and saute for another 2 minutes. 

Add 1 1/2 cups of arborio rice to the vegetables in the pot and saute 2 minutes to toast the rice.  Pour in about a 1/2 cup of white wine.  Simmer until the wine is absorbed by the rice.  Remove your pot of warmed chicken broth from the heat.  Add about a cup of the warm broth to the rice/veggie mixture.  Stir often- the rice can stick to the bottom of the pan if you don't stay on top of the stirring.  Once the broth has been absorbed, add another cup and stir.  Continue repeating this process until you have used all the chicken broth.  All and all, the adding of broth and the stirring should take 20-30 minutes.  Make sure to taste the rice as you add the broth to check for doneness.  The rice should be creamy, but firm when it is done. 

Once the rice is cooked to your doneness, remove from the heat.  Add a tbsp of butter and about a 1/2 cup (or a bit more ;) ) of parmesan cheese.  I suggest staying away from the domestic parms, and splurging on an Italian one.  The taste of an Italian parmesan is bounds and leaps beyond a domestic variety.  You are not using much, so it won't hit your wallet too hard.  I bought my parmesan in a chunk and then finely chopped it.  Shredded parmesan would also work well. Stir the butter and parmesan into the risotto until it is melted and well incorporated.  Add sea salt and ground pepper to taste.  Plate up and serve immediately.  :) 

A 'Burgh Inspired Wedding Reception in the Mountain State

On what turned out to be a gorgeous May Friday evening, my high school sweetheart (delayed) and I exchanged our wedding vows in front of a very small gathering of friends and family at the Shaw House in Fairmont, WV.  Our wedding was vintage inspired, and very elegantly simple.  I will be sharing more photos on this blog post than I normally do, but hey it is not everyday that a gal gets married, right? ;)  The ceremony was sweet and right to the point (just like me most of the time).  But let's be real.  Most of us really love attending a wedding for the reception grub and usually the free drinks, right?  Hehehehe...
The husband and I knew that we wanted to keep the reception menu uncomplicated, delicious, and most of all 'Burgh LOCAL.
So, let's get to it.

From top left, clockwise:

• Our reception spread was provided by the caterer and chef at Shaw House.  This two-person culinary team did most of their shopping for the menu in the Strip District.  Our menu included a lovely Nicoise salad, a beautifully poached salmon, a tender rosemary herbed beef tenderloin, an amazing spinach artichoke dip, and a fresh and gorgeous fruit platter.
• Our reception spread also offered hunks of self-serve (aka, have as big of a piece as you would like) fresh cheeses for our guests- a nice sharp white cheddar, a more mild Porterhouse cheese, and a sweet Stilton with apricots. 
• The cakes... Yes, the cakes.  We did not go the traditional tiered cake route here.  We delighted our guests with six different cakes all courtesy of the lovely bakery at Delallo Italian Marketplace in Jeannette.  I am pretty sure that most of the guests came back for a second or third slice.  I mean, you can't just try one...  ;)
• When I started to think of the wedding favors I wanted to send my guests home with, I knew that personalized M&M's or those Jordan almonds were not going to cut it for me.  We offered each of our lovely guests Peanut Butter and/or Dark Chocolate marshmallows (seen in the little silver boxes) from the Pittsburgh Marshmallow Factory.  We also created our own take on the candy bar, but used popcorn from the Pittsburgh Popcorn Company instead.  After tasting every flavor popcorn the Company had to offer that week, we settled on one savory and one sweet- Sour Cream & Onion and Baklava. 

Okay, now to share just a few more pics.  Who doesn't like pics from weddings?  ;)

My lovely sister (maid of honor) is featured in the photos on the left and right.  And yes, in the pic to the right she is proudly displaying her Yuengling bottled beer. ;)

*All photos were taken by the extremely talented photographer and my longtime friend, Mr. William Brian Bee.