the blog that time forgot? | nom! nom! nom! blog.com

Hello!

As fall is rush?ing in and I?m dream?ing of spices and bak?ing and thick socks and warm drinks, I thought it was time to emerge from my sum?mer hiber?na?tion. This sum?mer has been tremen?dously pro?duc?tive AND relax?ing, which has been lovely, but I apol?o?gize for neglect?ing the?blog.

I went on vaca?tion this sum?mer, which I?ve only done one other time in my life. You could say it was much needed. But I dis?cov?ered one of the ben?e?fits of never tak?ing a vaca?tion ? not hav?ing to reac?cli?mate to real life again. Oy. I also moved into a new place, fin?ished writ?ing and edit?ing the Trader Joe?s cook?book, ate obscene amounts of sweet corn and just plain chilled.

It was pretty great.

I hope you all had a lovely sum?mer! What was hap?pen?ing in your neck of the?woods?

Now back to life, back to real?ity and with the pub?li?ca?tion of the TJ?s book approach?ing and the heat back?ing off, I?m back in the kitchen and am eat?ing more than sal?ads and bowls of water?melon chunks.

We?re in that weird limbo phase of summer/fall tran?si?tion, when the air is get?ting crisp and we?re lay?er?ing blan?kets on our beds, but farmer?s mar?kets are still going strong and gar?dens keep on pro?duc?ing. Here is a recipe from the upcom?ing book for a lovely Roasted Car?rot Risotto, the per?fect com?fort food to help use up your lin?ger?ing car?rots. As writ?ten, the recipe is veg?e?tar?ian, but the vegan option is noted at the end. Because this recipe is from the book, it notes TJ?s ver?sions of the ingre?di?ents, but it?s basic enough that you could throw this together with stuff from any gro?cery?store.

Roasted Car?rot Risotto (from The I Heart Trader Joe?s Veg?e?tar?ian Cook?book, out Novem?ber?2012)

Risotto is not a short?cut meal, requir?ing low tem?per?a?tures and much stir?ring? but it?s worth every minute. Roast?ing the car?rots enhances their earthy fla?vor and adds a com?plex?ity that is intoxicating.

1/2 lb. organic car?rots (whole car?rots, not the lit?tle guys)
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 teas. bal?samic vine?gar
salt and pep?per, to taste
1 tbsp. but?ter
1 small yel?low or white onion, diced small
1 cup Trader Joe?s Arbo?rio Rice
4 cups of Trader Joe?s Organic Veg?gie Broth
1 1/2 cups Trader Joe?s Freshly Shaved Parme?san, Romano & Asi?ago Cheese

Pre?heat oven to 400. Line a bak?ing sheet with parch?ment. Wash the car?rots and cut down into 1 inch sticks. Toss car?rots with olive oil and bal?samic and sprin?kle with salt and pep?per. Spread on pre?pared sheet and roast until ten?der, about 20?25 min?utes. Remove from oven and puree in a food proces?sor or blender, until smooth, adding a lit?tle water (1 tbsp. at a time), if needed.

In a stock?pot, melt the but?ter on medium-low heat. Add the onion and saute until slightly translu?cent, about 3 min?utes. Add the rice and saute for about 3 more min?utes. Add 1 cup of the broth, lower heat to just a tinge about low and cook, stir?ring often, until absorbed. Repeat with the sec?ond and third cups of broth, one cup at a time. Add the car?rot puree with the fourth cup of broth. Once absorbed, remove from heat and stir in the cheese, stir?ring until melted and well combined.

Serve with a salad and some crusty bread.

Makes: 4?6 servings

Gluten-free

Vegan option: Replace the but?ter with non-dairy mar?garine. In place of the cheese, while the car?rots are roast?ing, soak 1/2 cup of raw cashews in warm water. Let them soak until you are cook?ing the risotto. Drain the water and puree the cashews with 1/4 teas of salt and a squeeze of lemon juice (about 1/2 teas.). Add the cashew puree in place of the shaved cheese.

Source: http://nomnomnomblog.com/2012/09/25/the-blog-that-time-forgot/

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