A pretty typical Wednesday...
...which, I'll warn you, is fairly boring. Ran out to our old neighborhood this morning for my weekly walk with taradaktyl and her dog, Toby. This was a bit tricky, since we're finally getting some of that rain for which we're so famous... and it was actually, at times, pretty heavy. Of course we didn't bring any umbrellas with us (umbrellas, shumbrellas...) and ended up getting pretty soaked. I picked up my weekly produce delivery (they don't deliver out at our new house, but Taradaktyl already gets deliveries from them as well, so I just have my produce dropped off there) then headed out to grab a quick Geocache, getting even more soaked in the process. I got to my piano lesson looking a bit like a drowned rat, I suspect. Started on some new songs this week (yay!), even though I still haven't quite mastered the last ones. I tend to do a bit better if I'm not just constantly practicing the same things over and over, so I'm excited to be adding something new. Off to a late lunch, then to grab a photo and head home.
I managed to get this shot of a bridge over the Snoqualmie River out near Carnation during a brief respite from the rain.
And, well, that's about it. Did some housework, contemplated doing some yardwork but decided it wasn't worth getting soaked again. Oh! And made a fantastic risotto for dinner (with rackham's help stirring... my arms get tired too quickly). So far my goal of using up all the produce from our deliveries each week has been going really well! A nice side effect being that we're eating out a whole lot less, too.
If I remember correctly, I originally got this recipe from a flyer put out by a local grocery store chain:
Barley, Mushroom and Winter Squash Risotto
4 Servings
5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, or vegetable broth
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 medium shallots, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 cups butternut, hubbard, red kuri or kabocha squash, chopped & peeled cut in 1/2 in. pieces (I used carnival squash, since that's what we had on hand)
2 cups shiitake mushroom caps, thinly sliced (I cheated and used crimini, once again... what we had on hand)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads (optional)
1 1/2 cups barley
1/2 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth
1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, finely grated (I used Pecorino Roman, which is a sheep's milk cheese)
Preparation:
Place broth in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat so the broth remains steaming, but is not simmering.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic. Cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in squash and mushrooms; cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms give off their liquid, about 5 minutes. Add thyme, salt, pepper and saffron (optional), cook for 30 seconds. Add barley, stir until translucent, about 1 minute. Add wine (or vermouth) and cook, stirring, until almost absorbed by the barley, about 1 minute.
Stir in 1/2 cup of the hot broth; reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring constantly, until the liquid has been absorbed. Continue adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring after each addition until all the liquid has been absorbed, and until the barley is tender and creamy, 30 to 40 minutes total. (There may be some broth left over.) Remove from heat and stir in cheese.
It's not particularly difficult, just a bit more labor intensive than I like to do regularly. On the major plus side, it used up the squash, the shallots and the mushrooms we already had in the house (particularly the squash, which had been sitting on the counter for a few weeks). I love it when a meal comes together like that!
I managed to get this shot of a bridge over the Snoqualmie River out near Carnation during a brief respite from the rain.
And, well, that's about it. Did some housework, contemplated doing some yardwork but decided it wasn't worth getting soaked again. Oh! And made a fantastic risotto for dinner (with rackham's help stirring... my arms get tired too quickly). So far my goal of using up all the produce from our deliveries each week has been going really well! A nice side effect being that we're eating out a whole lot less, too.
If I remember correctly, I originally got this recipe from a flyer put out by a local grocery store chain:
Barley, Mushroom and Winter Squash Risotto
4 Servings
5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, or vegetable broth
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 medium shallots, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 cups butternut, hubbard, red kuri or kabocha squash, chopped & peeled cut in 1/2 in. pieces (I used carnival squash, since that's what we had on hand)
2 cups shiitake mushroom caps, thinly sliced (I cheated and used crimini, once again... what we had on hand)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads (optional)
1 1/2 cups barley
1/2 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth
1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, finely grated (I used Pecorino Roman, which is a sheep's milk cheese)
Preparation:
Place broth in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat so the broth remains steaming, but is not simmering.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic. Cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in squash and mushrooms; cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms give off their liquid, about 5 minutes. Add thyme, salt, pepper and saffron (optional), cook for 30 seconds. Add barley, stir until translucent, about 1 minute. Add wine (or vermouth) and cook, stirring, until almost absorbed by the barley, about 1 minute.
Stir in 1/2 cup of the hot broth; reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring constantly, until the liquid has been absorbed. Continue adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring after each addition until all the liquid has been absorbed, and until the barley is tender and creamy, 30 to 40 minutes total. (There may be some broth left over.) Remove from heat and stir in cheese.
It's not particularly difficult, just a bit more labor intensive than I like to do regularly. On the major plus side, it used up the squash, the shallots and the mushrooms we already had in the house (particularly the squash, which had been sitting on the counter for a few weeks). I love it when a meal comes together like that!