Review: Henry’s - One Restaurant's Challenges With Serving Local and Sustainable Food

Henry's - Broadway & 105th Street
Contributed by Josh Kigel, Upper West Sider, Chubby Bunny CSA Member, Advocacy Committee.

My wife and I are concerned about eating responsibly, but we don’t want to give up eating out or eating meat.

We were originally drawn to Henry’s by the discovery that they serve a grass-fed burger. I wondered what else Henry’s might offer of interest to Chubby Bunny members.

Owner Henry Rinehart was gracious enough to sit down for an interview for the Chubby Bunny newsletter. Over the course of an hour, Henry and I discussed the broken food system. Rinehart’s passion was clear for health and the impact of food choice.

Restaurant owners who want to serve meals prepared with natural plant and animal ingredients are restricted by the market. A proprietor may want to serve grass-fed beef or line caught fish–and people may say they want it—but how much are they willing to pay for it is a real barrier. Restaurants, even those with the best of intentions, can only serve what people will pay for.

In addition to taking whatever steps towards sustainable food his clientele will allow, Rinehart makes sure that Henry’s is active in the local community. They are involved with the New York Coalition of Healthy School Food (NYCHSF) and Wellness in the Schools (WITS). NYCHFS advocates for a plant-based diet for healthy children and WITS helps place cooking professionals in school kitchens. In October, Rinehart and Chef Mark Barrett will team up with Bill Telepan, Chef/Owner of Telepan near Lincoln Center, and WITS for a program called Cook for New York to bring healthy food into NYC Public schools.

Henry thinks the state of the American food industry is a serious issue. Skyrocketing health care costs, a high obesity rate, and the frequent recalls of contaminated food support his case.
But while activism is noble, going out to eat is about the dining experience—people pay for good food and drink and an appealing environment. The best intentions won’t keep customers coming back without good food. Served on a whole wheat roll and available with caramelized onions, cheese and bacon the grass-fed burger alone has kept me coming back.

But Henry’s is about much more than a hamburger. Henry’s serves a wild line-caught arctic char, which is on the menu instead of salmon because Rinehart found there was no viable option for wild salmon.

Most of the fish served at Henry’s is wild and line caught. When they buy farmed fish, it is from land-based and sustainable farms and not fed fish meal to reduce ocean pollution. Rinehart estimates that about 80% of the Henry's menus is made up of food that is grown and raised locally: meat from Lancaster County, PA., flour from New York State, local and greenmarket produce. Sometimes Reinhart has to make trade offs. For example, the beef for the grass-fed burger, which is ground on premises, is from Australia, where the price is much lower.
The wine list is 100% American. There’s a wide selection from New York. If (like me) you enjoy a beer on tap with a burger try the Long Island lager.

We have never had anything but exemplary service at Henry’s. The staff is attentive and friendly.
Overall, Henry’s is a delicious meal of predominantly local and sustainable ingredients in a comfortable environment. If you live on the Upper West Side and are looking for a grass-fed burger you have your spot. And if you are lucky enough to sit outside at Henry’s when the weather permits the jazz club halfway up the block to keep its doors open you may be treated to live music with your meal.

RECIPE: Roasted Root Vegetables with Maple Glaze

From Cooking Light, March 2008

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups (1/2-inch) slices carrot

1 ½ cups (1/2-inch) slices parsnip

1 ½ cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled turnip

4 tsp. olive oil

½ tsp. kosher salt

¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Cooking spray

2 Tbsp. maple syrup

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 450o.

2. Combine first 6 ingredients in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray, tossing well to coat.

3. Bake for 10 minutes.

4. Stir in syrup. Bake an additional 20 minutes or until tender and golden, stirring after 10 minutes.

NOTE: Most root vegetables work well in this recipe; I’ve used celery

root, rutabaga, and sweet potatoes as well as those included here.

Submitted by Lisa Bretherick

RECIPE: Roasted Delicata Squash Salad

From Helen’s Recipes (www.helenrennie.com)

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 medium delicata squash

1/3 cup olive oil

½ tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

8 cups mixed greens

½ cup dried cranberries

¼ cup pine nuts, toasted

Dressing:

2 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

½ tsp Dijon mustard (opt.)

3 Tbsp. olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

Make the squash

Place a rack into the bottom third of the oven. Preheat to 375F. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Do not peel. Cut the squash into cubes. Place the cubes in a bowl and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet in one layer without crowding. Roast squash for 20 minutes. Stir the squash and roast another 10-15 minutes or until very tender. Remove from oven and cool for about 15 minutes.

Make dressing

Mix lemon juice, vinegar, and Dijon mustard with a fork until well blended. Pour the olive oil in a slow steady stream whisking constantly. Whisk until well combined. Season with salt

and pepper.

Assemble the salad

Put the greens into a big bowl and toss with the dressing. Top with roasted squash, dried cranberries, and pine nuts.

Submitted by Lisa Bretherick

RECIPE: Root Vegetable and Cheddar Gratin

From Gorgeous Vegetables

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 lb. carrots, trimmed, peeled, and thinly sliced

1 lb. parsnips, trimmed, peeled, and thinly sliced

1 lb. leeks (trimmed weight), thinly sliced

1 cup vegetable stock

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, diced

Sea salt, black pepper

1 ½ tsp. superfine sugar

4 medium eggs

¾ cup grated mature Cheddar

¾ cup fresh white breadcrumbs

2 Tbsp. Peanut or vegetable oil

6 Tbsp. coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Procedure:

1. Place the carrots, parsnips, and leeks in a large saucepan with the stock, butter, 1 ½ teaspoons of salt, and sugar and bring the liquid to a boil. Cover the pan and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, then cook uncovered for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until nearly all the liquid has evaporated and the vegetables are sitting in a buttery emulsion. Leave to cool for a few minutes.

2. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl with some seasoning, then stir in two-thirds of the cheese.

3. Toss the breadcrumbs in another bowl with the oil, then mix in the rest of the cheese.

4. Add the vegetables to the bowl with the egg and cheese mixture, scatter the parsley over, and stir to combine everything. Tip the mixture into a 12-inch oval gratin dish or other shallow ovenproof dish of a similar size. Smooth the surface and scatter the breadcrumb mixture on top.

5. Preheat the oven to 425oF.

6. Place the gratin dish in a roasting dish with boiling water coming two-thirds of the way up the sides, and bake for 30-35 minutes until the breadcrumbs are golden and crusty. Serve immediately.

NOTE: To make ahead, complete through step 4, cover, and chill. Hold

off adding breadcrumbs until it’s time to bake.

Submitted by Lisa Bretherick

RECIPE: Parsnip Fritters

Serves 4

Ingredients:

3 Parsnips, peeled & diced to cook faster
2 heaping tablespoons Sour Cream
5 Garlic Shoots, minced
1 sprig Oregano
1/4 Onion, minced
4 oz Chevre
Salt & Pepper to taste
Flour to dredge (approximately 2 cups)
Shredded Parmesan (1/4 cup)
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon dried basil

Procedure:

Bring a pot of water with parsnips to boil. Cook until they are soft and mash with Sour Cream, Garlic Shoots, Onion, Chevre, Oregano. Add Salt & Pepper to taste. Mix flour, garlic powder, onion powder, dried basil & parmesan together. Form golf ball sized balls of parsnip mixture. Dredge in parmesan flour blend. Pat lightly to remove excess flour. Heat enough oil to cover bottom 1/4 of each ball in a sauce pan on medium heat. Fry until golden brown on each side, serve immediately.

Submitted by Laura Grund

FARM NEWS 10.24.10

Hi Folks,

It's more of the same this week: compost spreading, garlic planting, root cellar building, and harvesting for distributions. Cody, Biz,and Renee continue to heartily endure the freezing wet weather. The farmer's secret to happiness in miserable conditions: two pairs of long underwear, several sweaters, and bibs made for fishermen. Also a hot shower at the end of the day...

A few hard frosts have further damaged your salad mix and chard, but we'll probably still have enough to get us through the week. Again, what kills the salad only improves the carrots, brussells sprouts, kale and parsnips. Soon it'll be a race to finish the root cellar and get roots, onions, etc. in and out of the severe cold.

Attached is a pic of early morning salad harvest- note the white fabric we use to protect against the cold.

This week's harvest:

Bruss Sprouts

Parsnips

Carrots

Winter Squash

Potatoes

Salad Mix

Cabbage

Daikon

Onions

Turnips and Tops

Kale

Enjoy!

Dan and Tracy

FARM NEWS 10.18.10

Hi Folks,
Tracy has been putting the finishing touches onto our new website. Please do check it out for lots of pics, recipes, newsletters, etc.!

This week in the field: Garlic Planting. It's time once again to attempt a crop of garlic. This year we just couldn't keep up with the weeds so we've decided to try a strategy that's used by most New England garlic growers- mulch. But not just mulch, it's biodegradable corn based mulch. BioTelo is the "plastic" mulch we've been using more and more of in an attempt to cut down on our landfill waste for crops like peppers, tomatoes, and melons. The corn in biotelo comes from Europe, and is guaranteed GMO free. When the crop is finished, we plow it in. This saves lots of time and effort, and feeds the worms in the process. I have a friend in upstate NY using Biotelo on garlic with straw in the pathways with great results. So we'll try to replicate his method and actually have the garlic in your 2011 share come August. Thanks goodness for that onion and leek crop. Is it possible to get three allium bumper crops in one year? Will have pics next week of our Biotelo garlic field (if the weather cooperates).

Pictured is Beatrice as a toddler messing with a garlic bin. (Three years ago?)

This week in your share:

Carrots
Onions
Winter Squash
Parsnips
Daikon Radish
Dandelion
Mustard Greens
Chard
Leeks
Celeriac
Bruss Sprouts
Salad Mix (if we dont get a hard frost)
Herbs
Collards
Fennel

again,
happy eats,
Dan

RECIPE: Sweet and Savory Greens (with Raisins and Nuts)

Here is the recipe that Chef Margaret made for us at the site a few weeks ago.

Serves 4-6

This recipe is great because of its surprising combination of textures and of sweet and savory flavors. The crunch of the nuts, the chewy sweetness of the raisins, and the subtle heat of the hot pepper flakes keep your mouth tingling.

You can use collards, kale, chard (red chard adds a pretty color), spinach or other greens or any combination of greens for this dish, just keep in mind that they have different cooking times. Collards take longer than kale which takes longer than chard which takes longer than spinach to cook. If you use the stems, they take longer to cook than the leafy part of the greens. Take this into consideration when cooking. For example start cooking stems a minute or two before leaves and start cooking collards a minute or two before kale, and kale a minute before chard, and chard a minute before spinach. Also, younger greens are more tender and take less time to cook than mature greens . These greens are very good tossed with brown rice or whole wheat pasta.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of olive oil

5 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped small.

¼ cup golden raisins

¼ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes (or to taste)

1 pound of greens (usually about one bunch)

¼ cup of sliced, toasted almonds (or toasted pine nuts)

Salt, to taste

black pepper (preferably fresh ground), to taste

Procedure:

Add olive oil to a hot frying pan. Add minced garlic, red bell pepper, a pinch of salt, raisins, and hot pepper flakes to the oil and cook over low heat until soft (do not brown). Stir in the greens, tossing to coat the leaves, and cook until done (according to your taste). I like them to be soft but still have some of their fresh green color. Stir nuts in or sprinkle on top (for a pretty presentation). Add salt and pepper to taste.

RECIPE: Simple Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

From Baking Illustrated

Makes one 13 by 9-inch cake

If you like nuts in your cake, stir 1 1/2 cups toasted chopped pecans or walnuts into the batter along with the carrots. Raisins are also a good addition; 1 cup can be added along with the carrots. If you add both nuts and raisins, the cake will need an additional 10 to 12 minutes in the oven.

Carrot Cake

2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 pound (6 to 7 medium) carrots, peeled

1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar

1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) packed light brown sugar

4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups safflower, canola, or vegetable oil

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, softened but still cool

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but still cool

1 tablespoon sour cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) confectioners' sugar

1. For the cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13 by 9-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line bottom of pan with parchment and spray parchment.

2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in large bowl; set aside.

3. In food processor fitted with large shredding disk, shred carrots (you should have about 3 cups); transfer carrots to bowl and set aside. Wipe out food processor workbowl and fit with metal blade. Process granulated and brown sugars and eggs until frothy and thoroughly combined, about 20 seconds. With machine running, add oil through feed tube in steady stream. Process until mixture is light in color and well emulsified, about 20 seconds longer. Scrape mixture into medium bowl. Stir in carrots and dry ingredients until incorporated and no streaks of flour remain. Pour into prepared pan and bake until toothpick or skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking time. Cool cake to room temperature in pan on wire rack, about 2 hours.

4. For the frosting: When cake is cool, process cream cheese, butter, sour cream, and vanilla in clean food processor workbowl until combined, about 5 seconds, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Add confectioners' sugar and process until smooth, about 10 seconds.

5. Run paring knife around edge of cake to loosen from pan. Invert cake onto wire rack,

peel off parchment, then invert again onto serving platter. Using icing spatula, spread

frosting evenly over surface of cake. Cut into squares and serve. (Cover leftovers and

refrigerate for up to 3 days).

Submitted by Ann Tilley

RECIPE: Carrot Ginger Soup with Cashews

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

2 lb. carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
4 cups water
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1-1/2 cups chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons freshly grated ginger
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground fennel
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon dried mint
3-4 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup toasted cashews

Procedure:

1. Place the carrots in a medium saucepan and add the water. Bring to a boil, cover and cook until the carrots are very tender (10-15 minutes)

2. Heat the olive oil in a small fry pan. Add onion and cook over medium heat until translucent. Add ginger, garlic, salt, and spices. Lower the heat and continue to saute for another 8-10 minutes, until the onions are soft. Stir in lemon juice.

3. Combine the spice-onion mixture with the carrots and the cashews. Use a blender to puree the mixture until smooth.

Submitted by Laura Grund

RECIPE: Pizza with Goat Cheese, Butternut Squash, and Leeks

Ingredients:

2 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 tbsp evoo, separated

salt & pepper

1 package store-bought, pre-made thin pizza crust

1/2 cup goat cheese crumbles

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

2 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped

1 leek, white and light green parts only, cut in half lengthwise and sliced into half moons

1 tbsp Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Toss butternut squash with 1 tbsp evoo, s&p. Spread squash out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until tender, about 30 minutes. Remove squash from oven and increase heat to 400 degrees F.

2. Meanwhile, brush pizza crust with 1/2 tbsp evoo. Top with goat cheese crumbles and ricotta cheese. Add fresh thyme. Season with s&p. Soak leeks in a mixing bowl full of cool water to remove grit. Drain and pat dry. Spread leeks and roasted butternut squash over the cheese. Drizzle with remaining 1/2 tbsp evoo. Sprinkle with parm-reg.

3. Bake pizza until cheese is melted, and crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Depending on the brand of pizza crust you bought it might take a little more or a little less time. Look at the package for guidelines.

4. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. Cut and serve.

Submitted by Vicki Boyne

RECIPE: Bucatini with Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

1 lb. brussels sprouts, trimmed and large sprouts halved

1/3 cup Parm-Reg, grated, plus additional for garnish

3 cloves garlic

2 tbsp evoo

3 tbsp chopped walnuts

2 tsp lemon thyme, finely chopped

1/2 lb. bucatini

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Place sprouts in cast iron pan with garlic and evoo. Season with s&p. Toss so that all of the ingredients are evenly coated in evoo and well-seasoned. Roast for 15 minutes. Remove pan from oven, add walnuts and lemon thyme. Stir brussels sprouts so that sprouts flip over and walnuts and thyme are evenly distributed. Roast until brussels sprouts are nicely browned, with some of the outer leaves looking almost charred. Trust me, charred brussels sprouts are happy brussels sprouts.

3. Meanwhile cook bucatini according to package specifications in a large pot of boiled, salted water. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking liquid. Add pasta to brussels sprouts. Toss in parm-reg, and drizzle in approximately 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Toss to combine. If the sauce is still thick, add remaining pasta water until it loosens and just coats the pasta. If desired, drizzle in additional 1 tbsp evoo over warm pasta.

4. Serve pasta in individual pasta bowls (or plates), garnished with additional parm-reg (if desired).

Submitted by Vicki Boyne

FARM NEWS 10.4

Hi folks,
Attached is a photo of Dan bringing in the harvest of parsley.
This week on the farm, recovery from last weeks torrent of rain. Pounding, 4" in four hour rain. The crew was soaked, the veg was in mud, the lettuce mix was pounded. Wow, after such a spell of dry weather, what a reverse in extremes. Farming, among many things, is working with the elements. Seeing how far you can push yourself and your crew before they resent you....I think we're all OK though, we had several half days last week. Hopefully y'all as sharers hardly noticed the mud.

This week on the farm, more compost spreading, more cover crop seeding, harvesting for our CSA, pigs to pasture, meat birds to pasture, greenhouse cleanup (from the greenhouse tomatoes.) Also, Cody will start building a root cellar in the barn so we can offer winter veggies to our CSA members in the future.

Here's the harvest:
Onions
Carrots
Beets
Broccoli
Peppers
Eggplant
Chard
Arugula
Salad Mix
Kale
Daikon Radish
Winter Squash
Parsley

Bon appetite!
Your farmers,
Dan, Tracy, Bea and Baxter

RECIPE: Black-Eye Pea Stew with Kale and Squash

Adapted from Veg Times

Ingredients:

2 cups squash, cut into ½ inch dice
1 cup diced yellow onion
1 cup diced carrot
2 cloves garlic minced
finely chopped kale or collard greens, tough stems removed
4 cups of water
1 table soup veg soup base
black-eyed peas

Procedure:

1. Soak Black-Eye Peas overnight, or bring to boil and let stand for 2-3 hours.

2. Add oil to pot. Add squash, onion, carrot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent. Stir in garlic and cook one minute more. Add greens, four cups of water and veggie soup base. Bring mixture to a simmer and reduce heat. Simmer until greens and squash are tender.

3. Add black-eyed peas, season with salt, pepper and, if desired, fresh thyme, serve hot.

RECIPE: Arugula with Tomato Raisins

Adapted from Molto Gusto: Easy Italian Cooking b

y Mario Batali and Mark Ladner

Ingredients:

1 pint (about 2 cups) cherry or grape tomatoes

1 tbsp evoo

kosher salt

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 tsp lemon zest

1/4 cup evoo

1 lb. arugula, trimmed, washed and spun dry

Maldon or other flaky sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper

Tomato Raisins (recipe follows)

Procedure:

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Line a heavy baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.

2. Toss the tomatoes with evoo and salt in a bowl. Spread the tomatoes out on the baking sheet and bake, stirring and turning the tomatoes occasionally, until they are lightly browned in spots and shriveled, about 2 1/2 to 3 hours for grape tomatoes or 3 1/2 to 4 hours for cherry tomatoes.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, marmalade or zest, and evoo.

4. Toss the arugula with just enough vinaigrette to coat the arugula in a large mixing bowl. Season with s&p.

Transfer to a serving bowl or platter, garnish with the tomatoes, and serve.

Submitted by Vicki Boyne

RECIPE: Maple-Roasted Delicata Squash

Ingredients:

2 Delicata squash

2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into quarters

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp maple syrup

salt and pepper

pinch cayenne pepper

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Using a strong knife, cut each squash in half lengthwise. Spoon out seeds and stringy bits in the center of each half, just like you do when you are making a jack o'lantern. Place squash halves in a rimmed baking pan, cut side up. Add butter, brown sugar, s&p, and cayenne. Drizzle squash with maple syrup. Add a little water, about 1/4 inch, to the bottom of the baking pan to help the squash steam and to keep it from drying out.

3. Squash is done after it is nice and tender, which should take about an hour. Remove from oven and serve squash halves with melted butter mixture inside the cavity.

Submitted by Vicki Boyne

RECIPE: Roasted Squash and Spinach Lasagna

Ingredients:

32oz jarred tomato sauce

2 small squash (acorn, butternut and/or delicata), seeded, roasted

3 bunches of spinach, trimmed and washed

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 container (15oz) ricotta cheese

2 cups grated Parmesan, split

1 egg

¼ tsp ground or freshly grated nutmeg

1 lb fresh mozzarella, sliced

9-11 no-boil lasagna noodles (6oz)

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Halve squash and remove seeds. Wrap in foil and place on baking sheet. Roast squash until tender, about 30-40 minutes. Scoop squash out into a bowl and season with salt and pepper; set aside.

2. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Gradually add spinach and toss until wilted, about 4 minutes. Transfer spinach to a strainer and press to release liquid. When cool, chop spinach and season with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, mix ricotta, 1 cup Parmesan, egg, and nutmeg until smooth; season with salt and pepper.

3. Lightly oil a 13- by 9- by 2-inch (3 qt). Spread one-quarter the tomato sauce in dish, top with 3 noodles (you can use a couple of extra trimmed noodles to fill in the extra spaces). Top with half the ricotta mixture, half the squash, one-quarter the tomato sauce, and 3 noodles. Top with remaining ricotta mixture, cooked spinach, one-quarter the sauce, and 3 noodles. Top with remaining sauce, 1 pound mozzarella, and 1 cup Parmesan.

4. Bake lasagna on a rimmed baking sheet until golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes. Let lasagna cool 15 minutes before serving.

Submitted by Stephanie Leonard

RECIPE: Roasted Beet Risotto

Makes 6-8 side dish servings.

Ingredients:

3 medium beets (1.5 lb with greens), trimmed, leaving 1 inch of stems attached

3.5 cups chicken broth (28 fl oz)

3 cups water

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 cups Arborio rice (14 oz)

½ cup dry white wine

1 tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

1 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (½ cup)

Garnish: Parmigiano-Reggiano shavings, made with vegetable peeler

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Tightly wrap beets in foil and roast on a baking sheet until very tender, 75-90 minutes. Cool to warm in foil packages, about 20 minutes. When beets are cool enough to handle, peel them, discarding stems and root ends, then cut into ½ - inch cubes.

2. While beets are cooling, bring broth and water to a bare simmer in a 2-3 quart saucepan. Keep at a bare simmer, covered.

3. Cook onion in oil in a wide 4-6 quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add wine and simmer briskly, stirring constantly, until absorbed. Continue simmering and adding broth, ½ - cup at a time, stirring constantly and letting each addition be absorbed before adding the next, until rice is just tender and creamy-looking, 18-22 minutes. (Reserve leftover broth.)

4. Stir in beets, salt, and pepper (mixture will turn bright pink) and cook, stirring, until heated through. Thin as necessary with some of leftover broth, then stir in cheese and remove from heat.

Submitted by Stephanie Leonard