Risotto

We have the most amazing crop of chard at the moment-swiss, rainbow, you name it is is growing strong in the garden.
One of my favourite recipes is for chard risotto, it features frequently in our household and is my ultimate comfort food:
A basic risotto recipe (serves 3):
1 litre veg stock
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large white onions
4-5 sticks of celery finely sliced
about 250-300 grams of risotto rice (I do it by sight so this is a guess!)
250ml of dry white wine

Heat the olive oil slowly in a pan, add the onion and celery cook gently for about 15-20 minutes, until soft. Add the rice and turn up the heat.  Keep it moving until the rice is slightly translucent.
Quickly pour in the white wine, you will smell the alcohol, keep stirring all the time until it has evaporated .
Add the stock a ladle full at a time, stirring and waiting until it has been fully absorbed before adding the next ladle full.  turn the heat down to low so the rice doesnt cook too quickly, and continue to add ladlefuls of stock until it has all been absorbed.  Be careful not to over cook the rice.  It should hold its shape but still be soft and creamy.

Chard (and feta cheese) risotto:
1 clove of garlic peeled and chopped
Nutmeg for grating
150 grms chard washed, dried and very finely sliced
sea salt and black pepper
1 handful of grated parmesan -optional
1 lemon/2 limes-zest and juice
200 grams feta cheese/or a good goats cheese-optional

Whilst you are making the basic risotto recipe you can start on the chard, heat a deap saucepan until medium hot, pour in some olive oil, the garlic and a good grating of nutmeg.  Add the chopped chard.  Cook for 5 minutes, moving it about the pan, until the chard has wilted down.  It will be wonderfully dark and intensely flavoured.  Whizz the chard in a food processor and season with salt and pepper to taste.

When the rice is cooked, turn off the heat, stir in the chard, and beat in parmesan(if using).  Add a good squeeze of lemon or lime juice, add salt and pepper if needed. Put the lid on the risotto and let it rest for a minute, before folding in some of the feta (if using).  sprinkle lime/lemon zest on top, the rest of the feta, and drizzle the risotto with extra olive oil.

Tuck in!  It is divine without the parmesan and feta, so worth a try!