Eating from the Garden: Zucchini Risotto

How is everyone’s garden doing? Got tons of zucchini yet? Even if you didn’t do a garden this year, it should be pretty easy to find locally, either at the Farmer’s Market or produce market. I don’t have tons this year, but enough to make this fabulous recipe that comes from The Best of Vegan Cooking, by Priscilla Feral of Friends of Animals.

This is one of my favorite cookbooks ever – because the recipes in it are not only delicious, but also based on real food from real dirt – not expensive or hard-to-find processed stuff.

This recipe is gluten free and, if you substitute a little extra olive oil for the soy margarine, also soy free.   Enjoy!

3-4 Medium zucchini
1/2 C. Chopped vidalia onion (I actually used purple onion – was fine)
5 T. Extra virgin olive oil
2 Cloves garlic, finely choped
1/4 C. White wine (don’t laugh – all I had was rice wine from the Asian Market – it worked just fine)
5 C. Vegetable broth
2 T. Soy margarine
1 1/2 C. Arborio rice
Sea salt, freshly ground pepper
1 T. finely chopped Italian Parsley
Fresh basil, finely chopped (my own addition – don’t ask me how much, I am a firm believer in “No Such Thing as Too Much Basil”!)

Wash zucchini and slice into chunks 1/2 inch thick. Set aside

In a large skillet, saute onion in 3 T. oil about 5 minutes over medium heat. When the onion becomes translucent, add the garlic, stir and cook several seconds and then add the zucchini and turn the heat down to med-low. Add a very small pinch of salt after 10 min. The zucchini are done in about 30 minutes, after they’ve turned golden in color.

Heat vegetable broth to a slow simmer in a medium saucepan.

Transfer the zucchini into a heavy sauce pan, leaving behind in the skillet as much of the cooking oil as possible. Add 1 T. of oil and 2 T. margarine to the saucepan and turn the heat to medium-high. When the oil and the zucchini being to bubble, add the rice and stir to coat well. cooking and stirring about 1-2 minutes, until rice is opaque. Add wine and allow to be absorbed.

Ladle broth into rice, I added 1 cup at a time, stirring frequently over medium heat, after each addition. Wait until broth is almost completely absorbed before adding more. Continue this process for about 20 minutes, until broth is absorbed, rice is tender but al dente – firm to the bite.

Turn off the heat, adding freshly ground pepper and salt to taste, the remaining tablespoon of oil, the herbs, and mix thoroughly. Let it sit without stirring for 1-2 minutes longer, and serve.

Serves 4 hungry people