Experience life on the farm as Scott Meyer and others share recipes and experiences from Congaree and Penn Farm & Mills.
What began as a small rice farm, soon became popular with local Northeast Florida restaurants and has now thrived with orchards, animals, and even a charming event destination.
FEATURED RECIPE
LEMON & ARUGULA RISOTTO
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
1lb (2 c) C&P Jupiter Middlins
2floz C&P Cold Pressed Pecan oil
8-10c steaming hot water
1 bay leaf
Mirepoix
1 onion, 80% small dice, 20% fine julienne
1 carrot, peeled and small dice- 80% small dice,
20% fine julienne
3 stalks of celery, 80% small dice, 20% fine julienne
5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 handfulls petit arugula, chopped lightly
2 lemons (with a vegetable peeler, peel the zest off of 1 lemon)
1/4 c butter
6oz aged Gruyere cheese
8floz Chardonnay
Sea Salt TT
Cracked Pepper TT
- Use a wooden spoon to stir, it is non-abrasive to metal and is strong enough to keep food off the bottom.
- Warm a 3-4qt saucepot over medium heat.
- Add pecan oil and coat the bottom of the pan, then add the DICED vegetables and bay leaf, and season with a 4-finger pinch of salt and pepper.
- Lightly sweat the vegetables in the oil for approximately 3 minutes, until the vegetables to appear translucent. Add garlic and cook another two minutes.
- Add the white wine and butter and let boil until it has reduced by half of the initial volume.
- Add about half of the water, and the lemon peels. Stir to ensure the rice does not cook to the bottom.
- As rice cooks, the water will diminish and begin to cream. Once it looks like the water is almost fully absorbed, add more water, approximately half-cup (4floz) at a time, and stirring only to keep the rice off the bottom of the pot. Repeat this process until the risotto begins to soften, then taste for texture every other minute or so.
- The risotto will carry-over cook. This means that although the rice is no longer at the other end of a heat source, it will continue to cook. It is important to make sure the rice is not served completely soft and mushy. It should have a slight toothsomeness to it, the Italians call this “al dente”.
- Once the rice seems it is close to “al dente”, turn heat source off and remove the lemon peels and bay leaf.
- Stir in cheese. Once cheese is melted, stir in the arugula and juice from the lemons, reserving a couple squeezes for the garnish salad.
- For the garnish salad, mix the JULIENNE vegetables with the arugula and dress it lightly with some pecan oil and lemon juice, season it with a two finger pinch of salt and pepper.
- Plate the risotto in a bowl and top with the nicely dressed salad of fresh mirepoix and arugula!