Roasted Beet Risotto with Glazed Carrots and Fresh Dill

Autumn is one of my favorite seasons - not just all the dawns of autumn, nor the shorter, cooler days, but the evenings as well. Soft, sad evenings when shadows are lengthening and leaves beginning their transformations through gold, red and yellow to brown. I love the rustling as they fall and the sudden gusts of wind and dust. There is a wistful, mellow feeling in the air during autumn which makes us pause and take stock, beckoning us to reflect a little on our lives. Mornings when it is good to go mushrooming, and pick figs; to invite friends over for a long breakfast; and to experiment with some new dishes in the kitchen using some of the tawny autumn fruits and vegetables.



Roasted Beet Risotto with Glazed Carrots and Fresh Dill

Ingredients:

For the roasted beet puree:

• 2-3 small red beets, cleaned from leaves and stalks removed
• I Tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup of water

For the risotto:

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 medium carrot, shredded
• 1 garlic, minced
• 1 cups Arborio rice
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 Tbsp. red wine
• 3 cups vegetable stock for vegetarian version or chicken stock, warmed
• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

For the glazed carrots:

• 12 yellow baby carrots
• 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• dill for garnish

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the beets in a glass or ceramic baking dish. Mix with the olive oil and water. Cover with foil. Bake until the beets are tender through, about 1 hour. Let cool. Peel the beets and cut into chunks. Add to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and process to a rough puree. Set aside.

To make the risotto, in a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the diced onion, garlic and shredded carrot and cook, stirring occasionally about 5 minutes. Add the rice and bay leaf and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Pour the wine over rice and simmer for about 5-6 minutes. Add the stock a one cup at a time, stirring frequently until it is almost completely absorbed before adding more. When the rice is tender but firm to the bite, after about 15 minutes, add the one cup beetroot puree and stir to incorporate. Stir in the butter, cheese, dill and season with salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaf and discard.

To make a glazed carrots bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the carrots and boil for 1 minute, then drain. In a fry pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the carrots and sauté until just glazed. Season with salt and pepper.

Divide the risotto into equal portions and place on warm plates, garnish with the sautéed carrots and fresh dill.