Categories
Broth/Stock Butter Garlic Onions Parmesan cheese Radicchio

Radicchio Red Wine Risotto Recipe

Words and photos by Amanda Callahan of Callywood Farms

This is a meal you would expect on your plate at a nice restaurant, and I want to show you how EASY it is to prepare it at home! We’ve been fortunate with local radicchio recently, and this recipe is a stellar way to let this cool-weather crop shine. While it is mostly commonly known as that cheerful “red and white crunchy stuff” in salad mixes, radicchio is a delightful green and a lovely addition to meals in its own right. Bitter, yes, but with the right counter-flavors, it is exquisite. It’s great roasted or grilled to bring out the sweetness. For this dish, the bitterness pairs perfectly with creamy risotto. It’s a perfect cook-at-home special occasion meal. Treat yourself or your partner to a delicious, locally sourced fancy dish! 

To serve: We served this with pork chops – recipe here (pan seared instead of grilled), but you could serve with a big steak, roasted chicken, pan seared trout and even some beautiful mushrooms or tofu for my plant based friends. Check out original recipe that inspired my version for some plant based variations you might find helpful, too!

Ingredients

  • 5-6 cups bone broth
  • 1 large head of radicchio, sliced thin
  • 4 tablespoon butter, divided 
  • 1 medium onion or 2 shallots, diced small
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced 
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 ½ cups arborio rice 
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme and rosemary leaves 
  • ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese 

Instructions

– Heat the broth over low heat on a back burner, so that it’s nice and hot to add to your risotto during cooking. 

– In a large sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. Add the onions and saute for 5 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and sauté another minute until fragrant. Season with salt and pepper. 

– Pour in the rice and toast the rice by stirring around, about 2-3 minutes. The rice grains should be translucent on the outside and still have a white center. Season the rice with salt and pepper.

– Turn the heat to medium-high. Deglaze the pan with the cup of wine, turning the heat down to low after the initial alcohol bubbles off. 

– Once the wine has been absorbed, you will start the process of adding broth. Using a ladle, add 2 scoops of broth to the pan and continue stirring to incorporate all the liquid into the rice. If you’re cooking on gas, you can manipulate the heat to keep a constant simmer, increasing when you add stock and decreasing as it simmers, like a dance. When the liquid has been absorbed, add another few more ladles full of broth. 

– After 3-4 rounds of broth additions, it’s time to add your radicchio and fresh herbs by folding it into the rice

– Continue adding broth. You will need between 5-6 cups. So, you have to keep your eyes on it. You will know it’s done as the rice will slow it’s absorbency of the broth and the grains become nice and plump. I keep a tasting spoon close by and taste as it gets close (this also helps you keep an eye on salt level, too). Some people prefer more al dente, some like it done well. However, I caution you from overcooking too soon. The rice will become sticky and mushy, so err on the side of undercooking. – When it’s just about done, turn off the heat. Add the cheese, remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, adjust seasonings, and one more ladle full of broth and stir to combine. 

Categories
Baked Food Garlic Olive Oil Onions Parmesan cheese Recipes Sausage Sweet Potatoes

Sheet Pan Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Recipe & photos by Amanda Callahan of Callywood Farms
I’m a big fan of “sheet pan” meals — those glorious, easy-peasy all-in-one dishes perfect for quick and healthy dinners. They are incredibly versatile and (mostly) require minimal attention. Think of them as an ideal “clean out the fridge” technique great for pairing local ingredients you often don’t know what to do with: combine proteins, veggies, and starches however you feel moved. I love putting fresh greens on the top toward the end of cooking, too, like in this recipe! 

My friend recently passed along a huge sweet potato from his garden, and I had a bunch of radicchio that I honestly didn’t have a plan for but was excited to use. I thought both would pair well with sausage and debated how to proceed. I was leaning towards a soup, but then remembered I had a couple packages of cauliflower gnocchi in the freezer, and I LOVE roasted gnocchi. Whether it’s frozen cauliflower gnocchi or the shelf stable potato based gnocchi, if you haven’t tried roasting it, you’re missing out my friends! Gnocchi is traditionally boiled like pasta, but when roasted the edges become brown and toasty taking on a nutty flavor that is perfection when paired with fall flavors like sweet potatoes and sage. 

Try this easy sheet pan meal this week and make sure to snap a pic and tag us on social media! 

Ingredients

  • 1 large or 2 medium sweet potatoes, diced 
  • 1 onion, sliced 
  • 2 packages of cauliflower gnocchi (10 oz each), frozen, or 1 package of potato gnocchi (16 oz.)
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper (about 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper)
  • About 10 sage leaves, chiffonade (sliced thinly)
  • 2 stalks of rosemary, minced
  • 4 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, divided
  • 1 pound Italian sausage
  • 1 bunch of local radicchio, sliced into ribbons
  • Parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper for serving

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 
  2. Use two sheet pans (pictured here is just one, however, my sheet pans are full sized and most people have half sized, so use two for better browning of ingredients) and cover each with a Silpat mat, parchment paper, or aluminum foil.
  3. Place sweet potatoes, onion, and gnocchi onto the pans. Drizzle everything with two tablespoons of the olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, sage, rosemary, garlic, and two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. Toss everything to combine. Spread out evenly. Break up the sausage with your hands and nestle small pieces of the sausage among the potatoes and gnocchi.
  4. Place it in the oven for 25 minutes. The sweet potatoes and gnocchi should be beginning to brown.
  5. In a small bowl, toss the radicchio with the remaining one tablespoon of olive oil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. 
  6. Remove pans from the oven. Toss all the ingredients on the sheet pans. Scatter radicchio on top. Place back in the oven and cook for an additional five minutes until the radicchio starts to crisp on the edges. 
  7. Remove and serve with cheese and crushed red pepper, if desired. 
Categories
Almonds Garlic Green beans Parmesan cheese Recipes

Crispy Cold Green Bean Salad

Recipe and photos by Amanda Callahan of Callywood Farms

It’s bean season, and this nice, cold summer side is a great way to take advantage of both the bounty and stock up on some of CAFÉ’s local ingredients. Trust the process of adding the salt to the water. It seasons the green beans from the inside out, rather than relying on the dressing for flavor. I didn’t even need to add salt to the dressing as the salty parmesan rounded it out nicely.

Be aware of timing as you prep; if you leave green beans in the ice bath too long the salt will leak out through osmosis, but you also want cold green beans. Just keep a close eye (and taste tester) handy. Once out of the bath, dry the green beans thoroughly – can’t stress this enough – or you’ll have a watery, soggy salad as opposed to a sharp, crisp one. 

I think this formula is very adaptable. Try swapping in and out cheeses (or none at all!), nuts, or add herbs for zing. You’ll find me eating cold green beans for the rest of the summer! Enjoy!  

Ingredients: 

·      2 lbs green beans, trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces (about 2 inches)

·      ½ cup kosher salt 

·      1 garlic clove

·      1 lemon, zested and juiced

·      ¼ cup olive oil

·      ½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

·      ½ cup raw almonds

·      Salt and pepper

1. Prepare the green beans: Add the salt to a large pot of boiling water, the add the green beans and cook for 4 minutes. Gather a large bowl and fill it with ice water. After the beans are cooked, strain them from the hot water and place them immediately into the ice water to shock them, which retains the bright color and stops the cooking process. Once they are completely cold, drain and pat the green beans completely dry. Omitting this step will result in a watery salad.

2. Make the dressing by grating a clove of garlic and zesting a whole lemon into your large serving bowl. Juice the lemon into the bowl, and whisk in the olive oil and Parmesan cheese. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper, if needed. Set aside. 

3. Toast the almonds over medium low heat, turning over to prevent burning, until fragrant, about five minutes. Chop them to bits. 

4. Add your very dry cold green beans to the bowl and toss with the dressing until combined. Top with chopped almonds.