The past few weeks, spring spinach from WSU Organic Farm has been available continuously at the Moscow Food Co-op. While I love fresh spinach, its not a favorite of others in my household. Risotto, on the other hand, is. Combining the two, we are all pretty happy!
Usually, risotto is made with a dry white wine like Chardonnay or Pinot Gris. I chose to use Colter’s Creek Riesling, a medium dry white, because it is made 100% from grapes grown in the Lewis & Clark Valley of Idaho.
Spring Spinach Risotto ingredients: 6 cups water 2 tablespoons organic chicken bouillon or vegetable bouillon 1/2 pound WSU Organic Farm spinach, cleaned and chopped 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 small Affinity Farm shallots, minced 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, minced 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice 1/2 cup medium dry Colter’s Creek Riesling wine 1 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated 1 tablespoon dried basil 1 tablespoon butter salt and ground black pepper
Bring water or stock to a boil and reduce to a low simmer.
Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed medium pot. Add the shallots and sauté over medium head until golden. Using a wooden or bamboo spoon, stir in the rice and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and basil. Cook 1-2 minutes until the alcohol aroma fades.
Add 1/2 cup of stock and cook, stir constantly until all the liquid is absorbed. Continue adding stock a ladleful at a time, stirring until the liquid is absorbed. After 20-25 minutes, stir in the spinach and parsley. Continue cooking until all of the stock is utilized and the rice is creamy and soft but still al dente.
Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese and butter. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Serve this dish with chilled Colter’s Creek Riesling and a simple salad of local spring greens tossed with walnut vinaigrette.