Tomato and basil Risotto

I literally have a forest of basil in my garden, Janet, who helps me in my garden has not yet quite got the hang of only planting a few seeds at a time so we have feast or famine!  This time I am quite stuck on what to use all my basil for, I have been making jars and jars of basil oil.  This is a sludgy, verdant sauce that tastes clean, punchy and pure.  I have been adding it to all sorts of dishes-and it is delicious with a tomato risotto.

Basil Oil:
3 large bunches of basil-proper bunches, not the mean little ones sold in supermarkets
1 clove of garli, peeled
sea salt and black pepper
200ml extra virgin olive oil
Pull the basil leaves from their stalks and put them into a food processor with the garlic and a good pinch each of salt and pepper. Process until the basil is finely chopped.  With the motor running trickle in the olive oil through the funnel and continue to blend until you have a beautiful moss green puree.  Leave to stand for a few minutes, and then taste and adjust the seasoning.
Pour into a jar, cover and refridgerate until ready to use.  It keeps in the fridge for up to a week.

Tomato Salad:
I am always amazed by how many types of tomatoes are available-little, big, long, yellow, thin, round-so go crazy!
4 big handfuls of mixed tomatoes
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
Herb or balsamic vinegar
1 fresh red chilli, halved, deseeded and finely sliced
1 tbsp fresh chopped marjoram
1/2 clove of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
a big handful of fresh basil leaves-picked and divided into big and small ones

Chop up the tomaotes in an irregular fashion.  Season from a height with sea salt, using slightly more than you normally would, this will draw out the yummy flavour and intensity of the tomatoes.  Put the tomatoes in a colander over a bowl and leave for 20 minutes to let any excess water and salt drip out.  Pour the liquid away, dry the bowl and out the tomaotes in it.  Dress them with a glug of olive oil and a slash of vinegar.  Add some pepper, the chilli, marjoram, and the large basil leaves, torn up.  Toss together, correct seasoning.  tumble the tomaotes onto a large platter, drizzle with a little extra olive oil and sprinkle over the little basil leaves.

Tomato and basil risotto:
This is an adaption of Jamie Olivers one which he uses ricotta cheese in.  It is so yummy with basil oil drizzled over it.
1 litre veg stock
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion -peeled and finely chopped
4-5 sticks of celery, thrimmed and finely chopped
600 grms risotto rice
250ml vermouth or dry white wine

Put the olive oil in a large pan, add the onion and celery and cook very gently over a low heat for about 15 mins, until soft.  Add the rice and turn up the heat.  Dont let the rice or veg catch on the bottom of the pan so keep stirring.
Quickly pour in the vermouth or wine, keep stirring until it is has evaporated.  Add the stock to the rice, a ladle at a time, stirring and waiting until it has been fully absorbed before adding the next.  Turn the heat down to low so the rice doesnt cook too quickly., and continue to add ladlefuls of stock until it has all be absorbed-about 15 mins, the rice should still be a little bit al dente.

700ml extra veg stock.
4 hndfuls of ripe tomatoes-I use the tomato salad above.
Add 1/2 the extra stock and 2/3rds of the tomatoes.  Gently bring to the boil, stirring all the time, turn down the heat until almost all the stock has been absorbed.  Add the rest of the stock a ladleful at a time.  Be careful not to overcook the rice, it should be soft, creamy and oozy!
Turn off the heat (at this point you can add in grated parmesan or ricotta) add a tbsp of the basil oil.  Check the seasoning then stir in the rest of the marinated tomatoes.  Put a lid on the pan and let it rest a min or two.  Serve with bsil oil.  

"Eat & Run"

At the end of June, I ran the Lewa Safaricom half marathon-I must admit I found it difficult!  The altitude and the heat got to me in the end, but I was thrilled I did it.  I got to meet the amazing ultramarathon runner, Scott Jurek, who is also a vegan.  It was lovely to meet another vegan-I dont come across too many in East Africa!
Through my friends at "The Nature Conservancy" Scott very kindly gave me a signed copy of his book "Eat & Run:  My unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness" which has recipies in.

  I never really thought too much about it but after both half marathons I did this year people commented on my amazing recovery time.  I dont hurt.  Scott talks about how becoming a vegan hugely changed his recovery time after an epic run.  So that is my little vegan shout out!
I loved the book, the recipies are all simple, things he can eat on his runs but I thought I would share one:
Rice Balls (Onigiri):
2 cups sushi rice
4 cups of water
2 teaspoons of miso (or umeboshi paste)
3-4 sheets of nori seaweed

Cook the rice in the water.  Set aside to cool.  Fill a small bowl with water, and wet both handsso the rice does not stick.  Using your hands, form 1/4 cup rice into a triangle.  Spread half a tsp of miso on one side of the triangle.  Cover with another 1/4 cup rice.  Shape into one triangle, making sure the miso is covered with rice.  Fold the nori sheets in half and then tear them apart.  Using half of one sheet, wrap the rice triangle in nori, making sure to completely cover the rice.  Repeat using the remaining rice, miso and nori.

White rice is a great food for cooling your body, especially in hot places, and easy to digest.  

Vegetable Paella

My mother-in-law made this for us recently when we were visiting her in the UK-it was delicious!  It is loosely based on one from Ottolenghi's book "Plenty".
3 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion-finely chopped
1/2 a fennel bulb-cut into thin strips
2 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp gound tumeric
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
150g Calasparra rice-or another paella rice.  It works well with out local tanzanian short grain white rice as well!
100 ml good quaity medium sherry
1 tsp saffron threads
450 ml boiling veg stock
200 gms shelled broad beans-or sliced french beans
12 plum or cherry tomatoes-halved
5 small grilled artichokes in oil from a jar-drained and quartered
15 pitted Kalamata olives-halved
2 tbsp roughly chopped parsley
4 lemon wedges
salt

Heat the olive oil in a large shallow frying pan (or a paella pan if you have one!), and gently fry the onion for 5 mins.  Add the fennel and and continue to fry on a medium heat until soft and golden-about 6 mins.  Add the garlic and continue to cook for a further minute.
Add the bay leaves, paprika, tumeric and cayenne to the onions and fennel and stir well.  Then add the rice and stir thoroughly before adding the sherry and saffron.  Boil down for a minute and then add the stock and 1/3 tsp of salt.  Reduce to the heat to the minimum and simmer very gently for about 20 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice.  Do not cover the pan or stir the rice during the cooking.
Meanwhile pour plently of boiling water over the broad beans in a bowl and leave for a minute, then drain well and leave to cool.  Now squeeze each broad bean gently to remove the skin and discard it.
Remove the paella pan from the heat.  Taste and add more salt if needed but without stirring the rice and vegetables much.  Scatter the tomatoes, artichokes and broad beans over the rice and cover the pan tightly with foil for 10 minutes to rest.
Take off the foil.  Scatter the olives on top of the paella an sprinkle with parsley.  Serve with wedges of lemon.