Green herbs risotto

Here’s what to do with all of the overgrown herbs waning in your garden. One of my go-to favourites: Green risotto.

Your green risotto will probably be much greener than mine because I was out of spinach so didn’t include it. (Sue me.) But, I did have a bunch of green onions in the crisper so I used those instead. See what I just did there? I substituted. And you can do it too. Love cilantro? Put in it. Are you all about basil? Well then, who’s stopping you? Orgasmic for oregano? Find tarragon tantalizing? Terrific! Just so long as your choices are fresh, herbaceous and green, there are no wrong answers here.

GREEN HERBS RISOTTO

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

For risotto:

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1 tsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 big bunch chives, minced

1 cup parsley, minced (plus extra for garnish)

1 cup spinach, minced

1 1/2 cups Arborio rice

4 cups vegetable or chicken stock

1/4 cup dry white wine or Vermouth

pinch of chili flakes

1 tsp lemon zest and juice of half a lemon

1/4 cup grated or shaved Parmesan

fresh cracked pepper

Method:

In a heavy pot, heat 2 tbsp of butter and oil together, add prepped garlic, onion, parsley and spinach and cook together on low heat for five minutes. Stir in rice, coating with herb and butter mixture. Have stock simmering on the stove for easy access.

Add a cup of warm stock, stir, bring to a boil and let it absorb. Keep adding about a 1/2 cup at a time, letting the liquid evaporate each time, until the four cups of stock have been used. Stir, stir, stir! From start to finish this process with take about 20 minutes.

Keep the risotto on low, stir in the wine, chili flakes, lemon, cheese and maybe another knob of butter. Dish it up while it’s hot; top each plate with a good shaving of Parmesan. And a flourish of pepper grindings.