I don’t think I could survive without our Sunday Heirloom Farmers Market, especially these days when we need lots of good fruits and vegetables to keep us healthy and strong. But I also get great cheeses, fish, poultry, and meats there. It is a wonderful market.
I know I have mentioned them all before, but today’s meal would not have been possible without Eunice and Larry at Larry’s Veggies, Alethea and Caitlyn at Fiore di Capra cheeses, or Ian at White Cane Sockeye Salmon. I’m so very grateful they have shown up every weekend to provide us with such high-quality local ingredients. I love my market friends.
Another key ingredient in today’s recipe was the product of a “drive by fruiting.” Do you remember that line from the movie Mrs. Doubtfire? My friend Karna recently left us a bagful of lemons and mandarin oranges from her trees. What a gift of kindness, and one we have enjoyed so much. And the beautiful linen towels? Gifts from my friend Laura. I love my friends, too.
What else do I love? Love itself! No… not the emotion, but the rosé by Château Léoube. I paired this delightful 2019 rosé with today’s risotto and it was a nice little love fest all around. To read more about this wine, please visit the Provence WineZine.
The food, the friends, and the wine — a perfect trio.
~ David
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Fran @ G'day Souffle'
June 6, 2020 at 7:16 amDavid, it looks like you’ve got the consistency of the risotto just perfect! It’s worth the extra time in preparing this dish. It seems like most farmer’s markets in my neighborhood haven’t re-opened yet, so you’re lucky. I was thinking of trying to sell my macarons at farmer’s markets but there are so many regulations about selling food! I’ll have to look up that line from Mrs Doubtfire!
Cocoa & Lavender
June 10, 2020 at 6:35 amFran — we were fortunate that our market vendors were viewed as essential in providing food, so the city kept them open. More restrictions, of course, but it’s worth it. And, of course, no prepared foods here at all, so I am sure your macarons wouldn’t make it on this side of the mountains, either. So sad. But someday, I am sure. Thanks for your comment about the risotto consistency — I dislike a stodgy risotto and that is what one often gets in restaurants.
Gerlinde
June 6, 2020 at 7:37 amMy Sunday farmer’s market is the highlight of my week. Although I miss sitting at the table and having lunch with friends. Your risotto looks so good. I am not a risotto fan but my husband loves it. I need to make it for him.
Cocoa & Lavender
June 10, 2020 at 6:36 amWhy don’t you like risotto, Gerlinde? We love it and have it quite often. Yes, I feel fortunate we have our market these days, but I really miss dining with friends, too.
John / Kitchen Riffs
June 6, 2020 at 10:10 amYour risotto looks perfect — terrific texture. My usual farmers market isn’t operating this year, alas — a casualty of the pandemic. I miss it. 🙁
Cocoa & Lavender
June 10, 2020 at 6:38 amI hope your market opens soon, John — for foodies like us, it is one of the greatest joys.
Eha
June 6, 2020 at 5:20 pmHave eaten rice as a main or side most days most of my life . . . usually of the brown, nutty, healthy kind. Bit love making risotto and here you have provided another slight variation on the theme ! Envy you your beautiful smoked salmon . . . indeed envy you your beautiful local Farmers Market . . . my closest is 40 kims down the road and may as yet not be open. Shall return to the top again to do some virtual shopping of my own . . . glad you seem to be well . . . . love the message on your towel . . .
Cocoa & Lavender
June 10, 2020 at 6:40 amThe tea towels are pretty wonderful, aren’t they? I think I once admitted in a posting ago, that I generally dislike brown rice. Oh, I will eat it but the flavor is “meh” to me. Also feel the same about plain white rice. I love the arborio, carnaroli, and nano rices from Italy, and our staple rice is jasmine or basmati. It’s all about the flavor for me.
Chef Mimi
June 7, 2020 at 5:04 amthis is just beautiful. I’ve learned, for me personally. To add smoked salmon to a hot dish at the very last minute, or else it cooks a bit. And that taste and texture is much different than lox. I think I learned that adding lox to eggs too early when making scrambled eggs with lox. Anywho, this is a fabulous risotto, and lox and goat chèvre pair so beautifully.
Cocoa & Lavender
June 10, 2020 at 6:42 amYep, the smoked salmon always goes in at the end. If it doesn’t, it gets leathery — unpleasant. These lox are not the traditional Nova lox, but a lightly smoked version which works perfectly with the risotto.
Ron
June 7, 2020 at 5:21 amMrs. Doubtfire was a fantastic movie and I also loved the run by fruiting line. She really nailed Pierce Brosnan with that lemon (or lime?). It is so wonderful to get drive-by fruiting.
We love risotto but haven’t had one such as your smoked salmon, chèvre and lemon version. It will be made soon. Oh and your wine pairing sounds wonderful. Alas, I just checked online at our government alcohol monopoly and they don’t carry LOVE by LÉOUBE. But, I just requested that they do. Take care over your way…
Cocoa & Lavender
June 10, 2020 at 6:45 amI do think it was a lime, Ron — one of my favorite scenes hit the whole movie is one of our top favorites. If your government store carries any of the Léoube wines, you should get some. LOVE is just one of their rosés — all good! Take are and stay safe.
Jeff the Chef
June 7, 2020 at 6:54 amYour risotto looks great, and I can only imagine how delicious it tastes! And hey, who wouldn’t love a drive-by fruiting!
Cocoa & Lavender
June 10, 2020 at 6:45 amThanks, Jeff… and Karna reports that we are in for another drive by fruiting any day!
Christina Conte
June 7, 2020 at 9:01 amWhat a lovely post! A much needed break from everything that is happening in our world today. Thanks, David. I love the recipe, too! Never had smoked salmon in risotto, and yours looks perfect! I’m making chicken today, but I think risotto will have to be on tomorrow’s menu!
Cocoa & Lavender
June 10, 2020 at 6:47 amSmoked salmon is certainly not traditional in risotti in Italy (at least I don’t think so) but it worked really well. And mascarpone would be a nice substitute for those who don’t like goat cheese.
One thing I am finding about the blog — it provides a little bit of normal in a crazy world!
Frank Fariello
June 7, 2020 at 9:02 amPersonally I haven’t ventured out to our local farmers market yet. They’ve got curbside pick up but half the fun (actually more than half) is oogling the produce, so I’m waiting. As for the risotto, it looks delicious. I’ll take anything with smoked salmon! And it’s good for you, too.
Cocoa & Lavender
June 10, 2020 at 6:49 amThanks, Frank. I started with the curbside pick up at the market but now venture in a bit a choose some items keep a good distance from everyone. I am so grateful…
sherry
June 7, 2020 at 6:23 pmthis sounds lovely david. a great flavour combo. i was watching a tv chef the other day – an italian no less – who made risotto which was very sloppy, and the host actually said: isn’t that very runny for a risotto? the chef said yes, it should be! but by the time he added heaps of butter and cheese to it, it was a wonderful and not so runny risotto. oh yum! and i think yours looks a perfect texture! oh yes the chef then poured olive oil over the buttery, cheesy risotto. my arteries are hardening as we speak 🙂
cheers and keep well
sherry
Cocoa & Lavender
June 10, 2020 at 6:50 amIt is hard to find the sweet spot between soupy and stodgy. I run my best and I am getting better with each risotto! One of the nice things about goat cheese is that it is less fatty than other options.
2pots2cook
June 8, 2020 at 4:02 amWith you and the Beatles all the way dear friend ! We also enjoy our farmer’s market although it is not that abundant as it used to be in this time of year. Somehow, everything has changed… Risotto looks like to die for ! Enjoy your week !
Cocoa & Lavender
June 10, 2020 at 6:51 amDavorka— we are so lucky that there is usually wonderful produce year-round because of all the different biomes in the region. Glad you enjoyed the Beatles reference!
Raymund
June 8, 2020 at 1:09 pmThat looks like a whole lot of comfort in a bowl. About that drive by fruiting, I wish it was spring on our end so I can enjoy the bountiful produce of our neighbors and colleagues, we do that a lot here, most of Auckland suburbs are studded with fruit trees like lemons, grapefruits, peaches, plums, feijoa, persimmon, etc. Oh I miss those days, well will still have to wait for 6 months for that to happen.
Cocoa & Lavender
June 10, 2020 at 6:53 amIt’s funny, Raymund — when you are in your citrus season, we feel the same jealousy. But I just save the ideas I get from below the equator and hope that I remember where I saved them six months later!
Andrea@thekitchenlioness
June 9, 2020 at 12:35 pmDear David, farmers market visits are a true highlight – for many of us. But, of course, not all of them are as wonderful as the one you visit regularly. Around here, they differ quite a bit depending on many different factors like farmers, producers, bee keepers etc. that are or are not willing to sell their goods at the market. I have a few that I really enjoy visiting, I only wish they were closer to where we live. So, oftentimes I prefer to visit local ‘Bauernläden’ (farmers shops) instead.
Your Risotto recipe is a true delight, you used beautiful produce and your presentation is sooo very pretty!
Ganz herzliche Grüße (an euch beide) aus dem kühlen Bonn,
Andrea
Cocoa & Lavender
June 10, 2020 at 6:54 amWe don’t have many farm shops here, Andrea, but there are a few of the market vendors who open up for visits, which is fun. I hope you are all well and safe. Ganz liebe grüße, d
sippitysup
June 12, 2020 at 11:09 amwonderful food and wine ( and wonderful sentiments too). GREG
David Scott Allen
June 12, 2020 at 10:35 pmThese days, Greg, the sentimental stuff is important.
priya
June 12, 2020 at 3:17 pmThis is a perfect comfort meal bowl must say david 🙂 Have a great weekend ahead.
David Scott Allen
June 12, 2020 at 10:36 pmThanks, Priya — we will take all the comfort we can get these days!
Inger @ Art of Natural Living
June 14, 2020 at 8:35 amI love a farmer’s market like that! And what an awesome and flavorful risotto!
Cocoa & Lavender
June 17, 2020 at 8:19 amI’m so excited that fresh melons are coming into season this week at the farmers market… It really was nice of Eunice to let us know that the melons were on their way.
The-FoodTrotter
June 15, 2020 at 9:06 amI was a bit curious about the combination of salmon and goat cheese since they both taste pretty strong, but fresh goat cheese will probably add some earthy creaminess to the whole risotto! I love it 🙂
Cocoa & Lavender
June 17, 2020 at 8:20 amFresh goat cheese – at least the cheese I get from our farmers market – is very mild and works beautifully in this case. I can imagine if this cheese is too strong that it would overwhelm the other flavors.
riya patel
June 19, 2020 at 1:56 amYour post is really a beautiful post, as well as a knowledge sharing post, I sincerely thank you for writing such a beautiful post.
Karen (Back Road Journal)
June 21, 2020 at 9:31 amDavid, this is a risotto my husband would enjoy and I think it would make a lovely first course when entertaining friends.
Cocoa & Lavender
June 26, 2020 at 11:41 amIt is a lovely primo, Karen – and is really nice followed by a simple mixed grill of seafood (which is what we did).
John
June 21, 2020 at 10:09 pmOh I miss farmers’ markets so much. They’ve only just started operating again in the few villages here in the Blue Mountains. I miss goat cheese, too. I must pick some up next time I come across it. Dean’s not a great fan of it, so I’d need to tread very carefully should I mix it through a risotto. Less for him, more for me!
Cocoa & Lavender
June 26, 2020 at 11:42 amDepending on the goat and her milk, you might get a really mild cheese which Dean would like. But mascarpone would make a good substitution. I am so glad our city government ruled that farmers markets were essential for providing food – it has been nice to have them constant throughout the pandemic.