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We recently catered a dinner with Chef Gary Podesto from Chez Panisse featuring a unique menu centered on the natural bounty of soil. Chef Gary acted as the Culinary Lead on behalf of Climate Farm School, a farm-based education program that also engages in land-based climate solutions work.

This risotto recipe is the exact one that was served at the dinner, and if you want to get more tips on how to cook it from Chef Gary himself, follow us on Instagram as we roll out a series of cooking videos!

 A note from Chef Gary:
"This dish is a celebration of soil health and the ingenuity of farmers to give the soil what it needs to produce the most nutrient dense food while supporting all the biodiversity of organisms above and below the ground. Most cover crop mixes include a blend of legumes for their nitrogen fixing function, grains for green mulch, shade, and deep infiltrating roots, and brassicas like radish or mustard which help to break up soil and scavenge for nutrients. This risotto is a blend of grains and vegetables with a simple method with components that can be prepared ahead of time and assembled 20 minutes before you want to serve it. You can substitute other whole grains and legumes you have; adding some chickpeas or a scoop of almond butter ups the protein content of this risotto for those who don't eat meat."

Risotto Ingredients

1 cup rolled rye or oats
1 cup pearled barley or farro
1/4 cup roasted buckwheat (also called kasha)
1 yellow onion, small dice
2 celery stalks, small dice
1 small leeks, small dice
1/2 lb mushrooms, small dice
6 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup medium celery root, small dice
1/2 lb brussel sprouts or kale or stinging nettles, finely sliced
1/2 lb green beans or wax beans, sliced into 1/2” pieces, tips discarded
3 oz parmesan cheese, grated
1 stick unsalted butter, diced
1 lemon, zest & juice
Kosher salt

Mushroom Broth Ingredients

1/2 oz dried porcini mushroom, soaked in 1 cup of hot water for 15 min
1/2 yellow onion, large dice
1/2 cup white miso
1 leek tops
4 or 5 thyme branches
3/4 cup white wine
150 g dried kombu seaweed
6 cups of water

Fill a large saucepan with 3 quarts of water, well-seasoned with salt like ocean water. Bring to a boil and add the barley, reduce to medium high and cook for 20-25 minutes until tender and plump but not exploding. Place in a colander and let drain well.

Strain the dried mushroom, adding the soaking liquid to a small saucepan along with the rest of the mushroom broth ingredients. Let this simmer over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, whisking to distribute the miso paste. Strain and keep warm over a low burner in a sauce pot until ready to cook your risotto.

Chop the reserved dried mushrooms finely and add to the diced onions, celery, leek, mushrooms, and garlic  in a large dutch oven with a ¼ of olive oil and a big pinch of kosher salt. Sweat this in the dutch oven for 8-10 minutes over medium-low heat until all vegetables are tender.

Add the oats & buckwheat and half of the hot mushroom broth and bring to a gentle simmer. The mixture will start to thicken as the grains begin to hydrate. Add more mushroom stock to keep it creamy and not stiff. Let this cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add the cooked barley, celery root, brussels sprouts, and green beans and enough stock to just cover and let cook for another 4-6 minutes, stirring constantly until it has come to a simmer and thickened up to a creamy risotto consistency. If it’s stiff, add a splash of stock or water. Taste for seasoning at this point and add salt to taste. The cooking is done when the vegetables  are cooked through but still have some texture. You can turn the heat to very low at this point.

Finish the risotto with the grated parmesan, butter, and lemon. Taste again for any final seasoning. Serve immediately!