It’s the end of summer and you might have a bit of bruised up summer vegetables: peppers, eggplants, squash, tomatoes, zucchini… whatever it is you can use it to prepare a great risotto. For mine I used 1/2 and eggplant, 1 red pepper, 1 leek, 1 summer squash, 1 green and 1 yellow zucchini, and tomatoes. But add whatever you have, it’s gonna be good!
I love how this dish still has the colors and the flavors of summer, but takes you to fall. I hope you will enjoy it too!
Also I want to use this chance to thank Giulietta of Alterkitchen and Manu from Manu’s Menu for passing me the versatile blogger award and Paolo of Quatro Fromagio for passing me the Cannolo Award. Read on to discover 7 thing about me and see who I am passing the awards too.
Ingredients
- 1 lb arborio rice
- 6 cups broth
- 1/2 lb of mixed summer vegetables
- 2 oz. feta
- 1 large bunch basil
- 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
Directions
- Start out by cleaning and dicing your vegetables. Then warm up the oil in a large pan and add in the vegetables. Salt them and let them cook until they have softened up. Add the rice and toast it for a couple of minutes until the grains become translucent. Deglaze with the wine and let it evaporate.
- Now start adding the boiling broth. As usual with risotto add one ladle of broth at a time and wait until all the liquid is absorbed before adding the next. It will take you about 20-30 minutes to cook the rice through. Right before the last of the liquid has evaporated add the basil and the cheese and let it melt.
- Enjoy warm with a sprinkle of black pepper.
Now onto the 7 facts about me:
- I am not much of a baker, but I just bought myself a red Kitchen Aid mixer and my last cake turned out amazing. I might become more of a baker soon!
- I recently went on my first diet ever to loose the 15lbs I put on in the last year thanks to blogging, working and not exercising…. it miraculously worked and now I know much more about calories.
- So far I have been to 16 of the US states: California, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Texas, Wyoming, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, New York, New Jersey, Massachutses, Florida, Washington DC. Sooner or later I will visit them all!
- Continuing with the traveling, the southernmost place I visit is Singapore, the northernmost is Norway, the westernmost is California and the easternmost is Japan (even if I’m not sure it counts as I’ve only been at the airport for a couple of hours). If Japan doesn’t count then it is Hong Kong.
- I lived in 3 different countries: Italy, Germany and USA and I am fluent in those 3 languages (well I guess you already knew about at least 2 of those countries/languages).
- After all this traveling, I met my BF in the Midwest, but he is actually from a town 30 miles from mine (and my mum made fun of us unendingly because of this).
- Said BF thinks I have some sort of psychological disorder just because I like my pantry to be always more or less fully stocked and I almost never throw away food. Even if my last culinary experiment didn’t turn out great or the vegetables look a little bruised, I will find a use for them!
And I am passing the cannolo award for authentic Italian cooking on to:
Cara and Stefano of Due Spaghetti
Fiona of Nuts about Food
Frank of Memorie di Angelina
Simona of Briciole
Hi! I'm PolaM, the Italian cooking in the Midwest.
@Juanita Soup is also a great thing to do with vegetables.
@Biren @ Roti n Rice Thank you!!
What a great risotto! And congrats on the well-deserved awards
I love learning about you – that is too funny about you and your bf being from 30 miles apart!
I am such a big fan of 'refrigerator' dishes like this! What a lovely way to pay tribute to the end of summer!
Thanks, Pola! We're honored to receive the cannolo award. Your risotto looks delicious – it's the perfect dish to carry us from summer into fall.
PS: And thanks so much for letting us know about those other blogs. I was already an avid fan of bricole, but hadn't yet come across due spaghetti or nuts about food. They both look fabulous and I know I'll be reading them regularly from now on…
Wow, I'm so honored, Paola! Will wear my cannolo with great pride!
Cheers,
Frank
Great way to use up all those vegetables! I have more awards waiting for on my blog. Do check it out. Have a great weekend!
What a great way to use up all the veggies..yea this looks very very flavorful!
congrats on well deserved award!!!
Buono!!! And great colours too!
))
I LOVED reading more about you! I had no idea you had lived in Germany as well! How amazing it is that you went all the way to the US to find your BF!!! hehehehe I guess it was destiny…
I love a good risotto.
I'm with you on not throwing out those slightly wilted veggies. Soups are the way I usually use them up!
Thank you so much, Pola, for the award and apologies for being so late in writing. It's been one of those days. I also hate to throw away food, but my pantry is stocked erratically. I usually overdo on fresh produce, because everything looks so beautiful at the farmers' market. I love making risotto with whatever I have handy: the result is always a pleasant surprise.
This risotto looks wonderful! What a great use of the leftover veggies.
This risotto looks wonderful! What a great use of the leftover veggies.
Congrats on getting an award. I love the red mixer. Mine is stainless but I really am now eyeing a red or pink one. Lol! This is a lovely recipe and risotto. Looks so inviting. Have a wonderful week.
@Assunta Grazie!
@Giulietta @ Alterkitchen Incredibly it is still hot also here in Minneapolis!
@Jasmin Adili By any mean, do try it is really fool proof! And welcome to my blog!
@Nuts about foodI chose the red because it was the cheapest on Amazon, but I have to say I love the color!
@Paolo I can assure you they deserve the seal of approval!
@Nami | Just One Cookbook Japan is on our shortlist of places to visit!
Pola, your risotto looks great – such a good idea for this season! I also like when I find ways to use up my ingredients
Thanks for accepting the Cannolo award (much deserved, obviously) and for passing it on to 4 more bloggers! I'm looking forward to getting to known them. For more info on the Cannolo Award please check out: http://www.disgracesonthemenu.com/p/cannolo-award.html
Oh I love your risotto! It looks like a perfect day to eat nice warm risotto. It's raining here and I made Japanese curry. Maybe risotto tomorrow. Congrats on the award! It's fun knowing about your more! Wow 3 languages!? I didn't know about German/living in Germany. I'm envious you've been to so many places! Hope you will visit Japan one day. Hehee
Che buoni i risotti!!
)
..e questo qui, è davvero fantastico!!
Loved the 7 facts about you: I don't like throwing away food, too! And it's always like that: you travel all around the globe, and then your BF is the boy next door
Love your risotto! In Torino today another sunny and hot day (almost 30°C).. I want fall, and celebrating the end of summer with a dish like yours!
Thank you dear Pola, what an honor, especially because I am an "adopted" Italian! Loved reading your seven facts and guess what? I just got a red Kitchen Aid too!
Looks promising! I should try that sometimes!
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