Boy, are we rocking the tomatoes. We are in tomato nirvana! BBLT’s, roasted tomato sauce, cherry tomato soup, tomato confit, caprese salad, uncooked tomato sauce, bruchetta and tomato risotto. I wait for this time of our farm season and will eat, prep and can as many variations as I can imagine. My time is limited but this is truly a labor of love.
Last Thursday evening was the tomato risotto. For those of you who have followed this blog, you are aware of my roasted tomato sauce; which is a combination of all our varieties cut up and roughly seeded, mounded in a roasting pan with 2 heads of garlic, olive oil and salt. This is roasted for 5-6 hours at 300 degrees. Each hour I remove the macerated tomato stock with a ladle and can it for future use. I use it in chilies, soups and risottos. For those who don’t go through this approach, you can use tomato paste to intensify the chicken stock. Either way, the result is luscious. Cherry tomatoes add both sweetness and color. Top with fresh basil and shaved pecorino and you have a show stopper. There are two recipes each summer at peak tomato season that I am emotionally moved by when I make them; tomato risotto and uncooked tomato sauce. It’s like eating the sun.
TOMATO RISOTTO
INGREDIENTS:
5 cups chicken stock (preferably homemade) or 4 cups chicken stock mixed with 1 cup roasted tomato stock
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves thinly sliced
2 cups cherry tomatoes (I like Sweet 100’s)
2 tablespoons tomato paste (omit if using the tomato stock)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup arborio or carnaroli rice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (I prefer Kerrygold)
1 cup finely grated pecorino cheese, plus 1/4 cup shaved for serving
Fresh basil, chopped, for serving
DIRECTIONS:
Bring stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan; keep warm over medium-low heat until ready to use.
Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan over medium. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until golden and very soft, 8-10 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring until softened, about 1 minute. Add tomato paste if using, and cook stirring often, until it darkens slightly and begins to stick to pan, about 2 minutes. Add cherry tomatoes and cinnamon, and cook, stirring often, until some of the tomatoes start to burst, about 2-4 minutes.
Stir in rice, season with salt, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring, until some grains are translucent, about 3 minutes. Ladle in 2 cups of stock and simmer, stirring frequently, until completely absorbed, 8-10 minutes. Ladle in another 2 cups of stock and simmer, stirring frequently, until rice is cooked through and most of the stock is absorbed, 12-15 minutes.
Add butter and grated pecorino, and remaining 1 cup of stock, stirring constantly, until risotto is very creamy looking, about 4 minutes. Taste and season with additional salt if needed. Add freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Divide risotto among shallow bowls and top with chopped fresh basil leaves, additional olive oil and shavings of pecorino.
Serves 4
“A world without tomatoes is like a string quartet without violins.” –Laurie Colwin
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