This recipe was created in 2021, in my kitchen, through a collective effort. At that time, together with four other friends, I was trying to come up with some recipes to cook at Trifoi Fest 2021, a festival focused on ecology and degrowth (a sort of slow and sustainable living, but applied across all social and economic spheres). Back then, we tried using millet as a base for risotto instead of rice, since rice has a terrible environmental impact during production. However, since we used millet, a few people on the team didn't like it, so we decided not to serve this dish at the festival. But I kept the idea and refined it over time. I invite you to test the final version:
An exciting autumn risotto, with surprising ingredients
A recipe with predominantly local, organic, seasonal, zero-waste ingredients: cauliflower risotto, pumpkin cream, beetroot and kale chips.
What is needed
Ingredients for the risotto:
Ingredients for the beets:
Ingredients for the kale chips:
Ingredients for the turnip or black radish:
Tools:
Instructions:
Preparing the elements:
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The turnip or black radish
Wash the turnip/ black radish and slice it into very thin rounds keeping the peel (I used a mandolin slicer on the thinnest setting). Prepare a marinade with balsamic vinegar, walnut oil, and spices: mustard seeds, black peppercorns, and coriander seeds. Add the radish or turnip slices and cover them with water. Refrigerate the marinade while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
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Beets
Se spală sfeclele Wash the beets and boil them whole in water with apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, and the listed spices: cloves, anise, mustard seeds, and red peppercorns. Once they're fully cooked (about 20-30 minutes, depending on the heat), remove, peel and slice them into thick rounds or semi-circles. Coat them on both sides with a mixture of sesame oil, balsamic oil cream, and soy sauce. Place the slices on a reusable silicone mat or parchment paper and set them aside.
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Pumpkin
Peel the pumpkin into long pieces, then slice the pulp. Season the pumpkin pulp and its peels with salt, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and nutmeg. Place the pumpkin slices on a silicone mat or parchment paper and the peels on a separate tray. Proceed to the next step.
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Cauliflower
Se taie conopida Slice the cauliflower in half, then cut two slices about 1.5 cm thick from the center. Prepare a mixture of water, miso, nutmeg, and smoked paprika, and brush both sides of the cauliflower slices with it. Place them on a reusable silicone mat or parchment paper. Set the remaining cauliflower aside in a bowl to make cauliflower “rice”.
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Baking
Insert the trays into the oven: the beets, pumpkin, and cauliflower slices. Roast until cooked through and golden on both sides, turning halfway through. I baked them for about 30 minutes at 180°C, then an additional 7 minutes at 220°C for browning. Keep a close eye to avoid burning. oven cele 3 tăvi pregătite: sfecla, dovleacul și feliile de conopidă. Lăsăm până se gătesc și se rumenesc pe ambele părți, având grijă să întoarcem la jumătatea timpului. Eu am lăsat cam 30 de minute, la 180 de grade, apoi încă 7 minute pentru rumenire la 220 de grade. Stăm cu ochii pe ele să nu se ardă.
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Dehydrate
Mai pregătim două tăvi pentru cuptor cu setare de temperatură joasă sau mai bine pentru dehydratorPrepare two more trays for the oven set at a low temperature or, ideally, for a dehydrator. On one tray, place the seasoned pumpkin peels, and on the other, the washed kale leaves, stripped of their tough stems, seasoned with nutritional yeast flakes, smoked paprika, salt, and olive oil (or any other oil). Bake both trays at 60-70°C for 1 to 1.5 hours until crispy, but be careful not to burn them.
Cooking the risotto
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Cauliflower
While the trays are in the oven, let's move on to preparing the risotto. Mince the remaining cauliflower into rice-sized pieces. Place in a bowl and move on to the hazelnuts.
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The hazelnuts
Roughly chop about 150 grams of hazelnuts in a food processor. Toast them in a pan (preferably cast iron) for a few minutes. Set them aside and proceed to make the milk.
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Risotto paste
In the food processor, blend about 200 grams of hazelnuts, then add 300 grams of water, and 100 grams of oats. Blend again until smooth, and the milk is ready. Next, put the roasted pumpkin from the oven into the food processor, along with miso, lactic acid or lemon, and nutritional yeast flakes, and blend again. You'll get a thick paste, which should be transferred to a large pot to simmer. Add water until you reach a risotto-like consistency.
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Cooking ingredients
Add the chopped cauliflower and cook for just a few minutes (I usually leave it for a maximum of 3 minutes to keep it crunchy, but you can go for 5 minutes if you prefer it softer).
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Finishing
Stir in the roasted, chopped hazelnuts and chopped parsley, mixing everything together.
Plating
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Plating setup
Place two ladles of risotto in the center of the plate. Top with half a slice of roasted cauliflower, followed by a beet slice cut in 2 pieces, diagonally. Tuck some kale chips behind the vegetables and place some roasted pumpkin peels beside them. Arrange a slice of black radish or turnip as well.
Notes
Although the recipe may seem complex, it can be prepared in parts, with elements made ahead of time and cooked on the day of serving. Enjoy your meal!
