Recipe: Farmers Market Risotto (2024)

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Kelli Foster

Kelli FosterSenior Contributing Food Editor

Kelli is a Senior Contributing Food Editor for Kitchn. She's a graduate of the French Culinary Institute and author of the cookbooks, Plant-Based Buddha Bowls, The Probiotic Kitchen, Buddha Bowls, and Everyday Freekeh Meals. She lives in New Jersey.

updated Jan 29, 2020

summer

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Start with whatever veggies you picked up & before long you'll be stirring them into a pot of creamy rice bathed in a nutty Pecorino and white wine sauce.

Serves6

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Here’s What to Pick Up at the Farmers Market

You can pick up nearly everything for this dish from the market. Look for onion, garlic, green beans, summer squash, corn, tomatoes, and herbs. Depending on your market you might even be able to get the Pecorino cheese. The remaining few ingredients are all pantry staples that you likely already have at home, plus you’ll need a splash of white wine. A variety of vegetables will not only make for a more colorful bowl of risotto, but it also changes up the texture, which makes dinner more interesting.

Onion
Garlic
Green beans
Summer squash
Corn
Tomatoes
Any herb

The basic template for farmers market risotto:
3 or more veggies from the list above + any herb + rice + classic brothy sauce with cheese

Can’t find something on the list of ingredients, or spot something different at the market that’s too good to pass up? No problem! This risotto is a template rather than a recipe, so revisions are encouraged. It’s more important to pay attention to the building blocks you need to make it.

How to Pick the Best Corn

The first, and arguably most important, thing you need to know about picking the best ears of corn at the farmers market is that you do not need to peel back the entire husk. Instead, squeeze the whole cob to check for soft spots, which is a sign of missing or overripe kernels, and avoid corn with any little brown holes in the husk, which can be a sign of insects. Take note of the tassel (the topmost part of the ear of corn where the silks shoot out); it should look clean and smell sweet. If it’s at all black or mushy, it’s a sign that the corn has been around for too long.

Know your corn etiquette: 5 Tips for Proper Farmers Market (and Grocery Store) Corn Etiquette

The Most Flavorful Beans Are Blanched in Broth

Because they have a more firm, crisp bite, green beans benefit from being blanched before getting stirred into the pot of risotto. A few minutes in boiling cooking liquid mellows their texture, leaving them tender and with an extra-vibrant, bright-green hue. Here we’re swapping the traditional pot of salted boiling water with stock (your choice of chicken or vegetable). You’ll be heating it for the risotto anyway, so we’re taking advantage of that to bring even more flavor to the green beans.

Always Buy Fresh Herbs at the Farmers Market!

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

7 cups
low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
8 ounces
green beans, trimmed and halved
2 tablespoons
unsalted butter
2 tablespoons
olive oil
1
medium yellow onion, finely chopped
3 cloves
garlic, minced
Kosher salt
freshly ground white or black pepper
2 cups
Arborio or Carnaroli rice
3/4 cup
dry white wine
2
small zucchini or summer squash, or combination (about 8 ounces)
2
medium ears corn, kernels cut off
1 cup
cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup
finely grated Pecorino cheese
1/2 cup
coarsely chopped fresh herbs, such as basil, mint, cilantro, dill, parsley, or tarragon
2 tablespoons
freshly squeezed lemon juice
Pecorino cheese shavings (optional)

Instructions

Bring the broth to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the green beans and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the beans to a medium bowl; set aside. Turn the heat to low to keep the broth at a very low simmer.
Heat the butter and oil in a large, wide pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, garlic, and a large pinch each of salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and toast, stirring occasionally, until the kernels start to make a crackling sound, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the wine and simmer, stirring often, until completely absorbed, 2 to 4 minutes.
Pour a ladleful of the simmering broth over the rice. Let simmer, stirring frequently, until the rice absorbs the liquid. Continue adding broth a ladleful at a time, stirring and letting it absorb, until the rice is al dente, 20 to 30 minutes (you might not use up all of the broth).
When the rice is almost ready (2 to 3 minutes before), stir in the summer squash, corn, and tomatoes, and continue cooking. When the rice is al dente, remove from the heat and stir in the reserved green beans, grated Pecorino, lemon juice, and herbs. Taste and season with more salt and pepper as needed. Serve immediately, topped with Pecorino shavings if using.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Farmers Market Suppers

Shopping the farmers market for seasonal veggies and herbs is one of the greatest joys of summer. It’s so easy to get excited by all the fresh produce of the moment and fill a tote with a little bit of everything. If you don’t have a plan, figuring out what to do with your haul once you get home can feel a little overwhelming. This series will help change that. We’re sharing five versatile and delicious templates that will teach you how to turn any farmers market purchase into dinner.

These photos were shot at The Hunterdon Land Trust Farmers Market in Flemington, New Jersey.

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