And still more to discover, look at, taste, and ponder. Cheeses…Wines…Coffee…Seafood…Honey…Our eyes were moving faster than our mouths. Individual tastes that promoted a sincere understanding of flavor via thoughtful farming and well executed, precision cooking. Producers, farmers and chefs all involved to proudly present and talk about their passionate and thoughtful approach to the food they love. And its growing importance to its impact on the planet. This was a cerebral awakening in the most flavorful of journeys.
Back at the Marin County Farmers Market in San Rafael the next day I was looking around at all of this beautiful food. The previous night was still on my mind. Multi colored peppers that looked like a Santorini sunset over the Aegean. Strawberries that tasted of sugar. Freshly harvested chervil and other herbs. Local. Fresh. Sustainably farmed. This is slow food.
I craned my neck and gawked at stand after stand of brightly colored heirloom tomatoes. They were everywhere. I love tomatoes. Sliced raw. Gently cooked as the star ingredient for a fresh sauce. Roasted for intense sweetness. It really doesn’t matter for me as long as the flavor is true. I came across a local producer who had magical Brandywines, Mr. Stripeys, Persimmons, Green Zebras, Cherokee Purples.And there it was. Standing by itself. Shining. The Golden Roma Italian Tomato. Glorious. Gourgeous. Plump. Delicious. What could I do with this singularly amazing heirloom fruit? The previous evening’s activities still very much on mind, I wanted to do justice to this beautiful tomato. My mind raced. A tomato tart with bouqerones and manchego? Too complicated. Cool Gazpacho? Possible, and a truer flavor platform. But more like a double then a home run.
I slowed myself down and thought “What would an Italian innovator like Carlo Petrini or a food revolutionary like Alice Waters want to eat if I hosted them for dinner and all I had to work with was this tomato and what was in my cupboard?” Let the ingredient speak for itself. I bought a pint of Straus Family Creamery organic cream and drove home.
Although I have never met Mr. Petrini or Ms. Waters, I think they will like this if I ever get to cook for either of them. It only took a worldwide movement to make me slow down and look around a bit for the answer.
Recipe for Roasted Heirloom Tomato Risotto
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
5 Heirloom tomatoes (I used Mr. Stripey, Italian Golden Roma, Brandywine and Abraham Lincoln) Fresh thyme sprigs (4 to 6)
2 T plus 1/4 C Olive Oil
Kosher Salt and Pepper
1/2 white onion, chopped
1/2 C dry white wine
1 C arborio rice
4 C vegetable stock or broth
1/4 C cream
6 T freshly grated parmesean with more for serving
2 T fresh basil, julienned
Heat an oven to 325 degrees. Place the tomatoes in a baking or ceramic dish and coat with 2 T olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cover with thyme sprigs. Roast for 35 minutes or until the skins begin to wrinkle.
In a saucepan, warm the vegetable broth over a medium low flame.
Heat another saucepan over medium heat and add the remaining 1/4 C of olive oil. Heat until fairly hot and then add the onions, cooking them until translucent 3-4 minutes. Add the arborio rice stirring to coat each grain with the oil, about 2 minutes. Add the white wine and cook until evaporated about 1 minute. Add enough vegetable stock to the rice until just covered. Stir occasionally. The rice should cook but not boil. Continue to add stock every few minutes as it cooks off. You want to maintain enough stock to cover the rice until the liquid cooks down slightly and then add more. Continue to stir occasionally. You do not want the rice to stick to the pan. The rice is ready in 16-18 minutes and should be creamy consistency. If cooked properly the rice grains will have a very suitable hardness when you bite it.
Turn off the heat and stir in the cream and parmesan cheese. Add salt to taste. Chop the roasted heirloom tomatoes directly in the roasting pan or on a cutting board. Stir the chopped tomatoes into the rice.
To serve ladle the rice into a warmed bowl and top with fresh basil and a few shavings of fresh parmesan.
18 comments:
This is beautiful! I wish, I wish, I wish. . .I don't even know what I'm wishing for: just one bowl of that risotto will do.
that sounds sooo wonderful!
I so wish I loved tomatoes. I'm Sicilian, it should be mandatory right? lol. I grow them and give them away...it's just not right. Wait I do use from for sauce! Saved! I really enjoying reading your posts, they are like a mini novel!
absolutely beautiful. there is nothing (NOTHING) like fresh tomatoes. I'm already cursing the day where I'm forced to eat those mealy, disgusting giant tomatoes throughout the winter.
you're in a wonderful part of the world for food. enjoy it! in fact, we just got back from a trip to SF and you need to head about 2 hours south to gilroy and castroville to experience garlic (gilroy) and artichokes (castroville). you'll be amazed that the air actually smells like the produce they are growing.
It sounds like you are enjoying discovering the food offerings of your new area.
My kids love risotto and I have some of those sweet heirloom tomatoes from my CSA, I will be making this for dinner tonight. Thanks for the recipe Marc!
Marc,
I am so glad that you having fun exploring our state. There are many more to discover, have you visit Santa Barbara? How about Palo Alto? Have fun!
You are very imaginative, I would never thought of adding heirloom tomatoes for risotto, in fact I never really cook heirloom tomato. I like it just they way it is. But after reading your recipe, I might have to give it a try. Cheers.
So wish I couldn't been there for the Slow Food Nation event...what fun! Your risotto sounds simply delicious, especially with your little jewels of tomatoes!
i have back to read this post twice and i can't wrap my head around this recipe. i know, i know. can you descibe what it tastes like? i would think the tomatoes would totally overpower the risotto, and i'm sure i'm wrong.
also did you make it to point reyes or did you just stay more around marin? and did you see george lucas's compound because it's huge!
its funny b/c tonight i actually made a dish VERY similar to yours.. after dinner i sat down and did my little tastespotting fix and came across your site.. WONDERFUL!!
take care and keep doing what you do!!
jonathan
dailydesignspot.com
CEF - Good night :)
Aran - I can never keep up with your talent but thanks for visiting
Lisa - thanks, I love writing them and glad you enjoy them.
W.A.N.F - Been to both and know what exactly you mean.
Krysta - Risotto is just platform for flavor in my opinion. The roasted heirlooms are sweet but the parmesean and basil provide a counter balance that works. Give it a shot!
What an incredible way to serve a risotto, so absolutely creative!
Slow food nation sounds very interesting! But you risotto maybe even more, lol! It looks dorgeous!
Sigh, the bay area always sounds like such foodie paradise...
I've made a lot of risottos but I've never thought of making a tomato one - thanks for the idea!
Marc...
I am soooo very glad you came out of the dark and commented on my site!LOL
Instead of using the onion and garlic powder..I suppose you could just use a bunch of fresh garlic and a whole onion. I normally use the real things..but I hadnt been to the grocery store..and had no garlic..WHAT NO GARLIC??? I know, how is that humanly possible??
Feel free to comment anytime! Dont be shy!LOL
Heirloom tomatoes, sublime! How fortunate we are nowadays to have them readily available, remember years back, all tomatoes from the store had basically little flavor?
Your risotto looks fabulous, speaking of tomatoes, we made a tomato tarte tatin tonight, everyone loved it. YAY for heirloom tomatoes!
beautiful and deliciously perfect! I just wish I was better at risotto!
Beautiful photos of your creations! May we use your photo of the tomatoes and herb bundle for an ad? Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Kenyon Organics
SLC, Utah
kenyonorganics@comcast.net
Beautiful photos of your creations! May we use your photo of the tomatoes and herb bundle for an ad? Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Kenyon Organics
SLC, Utah
kenyonorganics@comcast.net
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