Recipe 35: Beet, Swiss Chard, Goat Cheese, and Walnut Risotto

This pot was obviously too small to
everyone but me. 

This recipe is a classic example of the Paperblog Princess underestimating the size of a pot.  If you have two sizes of Le Creuset in which to make this dish, I encourage you, go big.  It may not fill the pot.  But it will not try to escape your too small Le Creuset.  Be safe, you guys.  I make messes so you don't have to.  I took this recipe on the road to the Asphalt Kitchen's kitchen, where we used a billion of our farmshare beets and chard to make this.  We all thought it was just okay.  I think the major problem in our case was under seasoning (we needed way way more salt), not chopping the chard finely enough (possibly using too much), and going a little rogue trying to use as many beets and as much chard as we could.  Follow the darn recipe.  And make sure to boil and peel the beets before adding them to the recipe.  Unless you like crunchy uncooked beets, you weirdo.  The cook time in the original recipe is not enough to cook them through entirely.  As with all risotto's, make sure to serve it almost immediately or it will dry out.  Because ours went awry, I've barely tweaked the original October, 2003 Cooking Light recipe.  Don't get fancy.  Follow the recipe.  Seriously. 

Murrrrder. 
They call me the Dexter of the kitchen.

Beet, Swiss Chard, Goat Cheese, and Walnut Risotto
via Cooking Light (October, 2003)

Allegedly serves 4.

Beet, Swiss Chard, Goat Cheese, and Walnut Risotto

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil 
• 1 cup chopped onion 
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/2 cup dry white wine 
• 3 cups beets
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can vegetable broth 
• 6 cups finely sliced Swiss chard
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted 

Preparation

1. Set a large stock pot of water to boil.  When it reaches a boil,  add the beets.  Boil for approximately 30 minutes, or until they soften.  Remove from pot, rinse, peel, and finely chop.
2. It is likely you will look like you committed murder.  Wash your hands, Lady MacBeth.
3. Heat oil in a LARGE Le Creuset over medium-high.  Add onion and saute for three minutes.  
4. Add rice, ginger and rosemary to the pot and saute for one minute.
5. Add wine cook, stirring constantly, until the liquid is nearly absorbed.
6. Add beets, water, salt, and broth and bring the mixture to a boil.  
7. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
8. Add the chard, cover and cook for approximately 5 minutes, until it is quite wilted.  Stir.
9. Add the cheese.  Stir well to incorporate both the chard and the cheese.  Taste and season with more salt or cheese as necessary.
10. Sprinkle each serving with toasted walnuts and more cheese, if you like goat cheese as much as I do.