burst cherry tomato & basil risotto
because, SUMMER.
Every year I forget just how abundant (and overwhelming) the month of June is around here. It’s like all of the sudden, all those baby plants that we stuck in the ground on chilly spring mornings and spent months caring for are suddenly full grown and practically bursting out of the soil, ready to be harvested.
Carrots! Potatoes! Beets! Garlic! Onions! Zucchini! Cucumbers! Tomatoes! Yes yes yes, it’s all exciting abundance that we’ve be working + waiting for, but it’s also a LOT to keep up with harvesting while tackling all the other farm jobs that need to happen (more planting, never ending weeding, fertilizing, pruning and trellising, picking off un-ending potato beetles, etc etc).
The crop I’m MOST excited about harvesting right now is hands-down our blackberries. We planted 40+ blackberry plants last season – which started out as the teeniest, tiniest, most pathetic looking little sticks – and this summer they are finally bearing fruit. The canes are LOADED, and the first few berries are *just* starting to turn from a hard red to juicy, luscious deep purple. This week whenever I’ve felt tired or uninspired, I just take a stroll through the blackberry patch, slowly meandering down the rows and popping all the sun-warm, ripe berries into my mouth.
So here’s to embracing the abundance *and* the overwhelm, to asking for help when we need it (I’ve asked for a LOT of help this week), and that amidst all the chaos, we don’t forgot to stop and eat the damn delicious berries.
Keep reading for this week’s new recipe, which embraces allllll the goodness of summer… burst cherry tomato & basil risotto.
One night this week when I was tired, hungry, covered in dirt and trying to figure out what to make for dinner, I couldn’t resist harvesting the first few juicy, red ripe cherry tomatoes and pinching off some fragrant basil. Tomatoes and basil, the most classic (and, admittedly, maybe the most #basic?) summer pairing, felt like *just* the thing for what feels like the first real week of summer.
I wanted to make something that would really allow the tomatoes and basil shine, something that felt special without being too difficult for a tired farmer on a Tuesday.
I landed on this burst cherry tomato & basil risotto, and OH MY GOODNESS it was exactly what I needed. I know what you’re going to say… Risotto is such a pain! So much stirring! Ugh! And here’s what I’m going to say… YES, this recipe does ask that you stay in your kitchen for 30ish minutes, and yes there is a fair amount of stirring.
But sometimes, isn’t it nice to slow down and take some extra time + intention to honor the first fruits of summer? I'm going to highly encourage that you put on some music or your favorite podcast, pour yourself something to drink, and just lean into the process of making this fragrant, hearty, summer-in-a-pot risotto (and I promise you’ll thank me later).
Two quick recipe notes:
This recipe specifically calls for cherry tomatoes, which are extra sweet, flavorful, and contain less water. As the recipe suggests, the tomatoes will “burst” and fall apart (in the best way) into the risotto, and the tomato skins will come off and become incorporated into the rice. Don’t fret, the skins are suuuuper tender and you won’t even notice them as they melt into your mouth.
The amount of salt you add to this recipe will really depend on how salty your broth/stock is. I suggest using low-sodium stock so you can control the salt level, but don’t be afraid to season generously.. salt is what makes this risotto really sing and bring all the flavors together.
Okay, go get stirring! If you make this risotto (see below for the full recipe for ALL subscribers), let me know how it goes + tag me on insta @farmbelly! You’ll see there is also a 1-page PDF for easy printing.
Burst Cherry Tomato & Basil Risotto
Serves 3-4
INGREDIENTS
4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste
2-3 cups whole cherry tomatoes
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup arborio rice
Kosher salt
½ cup dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc)
½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more to serve
½ cup thinly cut basil leaves, plus more to serve
PREPARATION
Bring stock to a gentle simmer in a medium saucepan, keep warm over low heat.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add finely diced onion and a good pinch (about ¼ teaspoon) of kosher salt and cook, stirring often, until golden and very soft, 8–10 minutes.
Add minced garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 1 minute. Add 1 large heaping tablespoon tomato paste and cook, stirring often, until it darkens and begins to stick to the pan, about 2 minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes and ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring occasionally, until some of the tomatoes begin to burst, 3-4 minutes.
Stir in 1 cup arborio rice, season with ½ teaspoon salt, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring, until some grains are translucent (be careful they don’t burn), 3-4 minutes.
Pour in ½ cup dry white wine and stir fairly often, until all the wine is absorbed, 1-2 minutes.
Ladle in 1 cup warm stock and simmer, stirring frequently, until all the stock is completely absorbed. Add additional stock, 1 cup at a time, every time the rice thickens and the stock is absorbed. After about 15 minutes, start tasting the rice for doneness and seasoning. Keep cooking until the rice is tender but still has a bit of a firm core, 20-25 minutes total.
To finish at the end of cooking, add the 2 remaining tablespoons of butter, ½ cup freshly grated parmesan, ½ cup thinly chopped basil leaves, any remaining broth and cook, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes until the risotto is very creamy. Taste and season with additional salt as needed.
To serve, divide risotto among bowls. Top with more parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
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