Part 95 (2/2)

4 cloves garlic, minced

teaspoon dried thyme

teaspoon dried rosemary

Several pinches of freshly ground black pepper

cup dry white wine

teaspoon salt

1 cups Arborio rice

1 cups fresh or frozen peas

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

cup loosely packed chopped fresh parsley, (plus extra for garnish)

Prepare the peppers: Preheat the oven to 350F. Slice the stems off the peppers and pull out the seeds. Quarter the peppers lengthwise. Line a rimmed baking sheet with baking parchment and place the peppers, cut side down, on the sheet. Lightly spray the peppers with olive oil and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the peppers have ”collapsed” and are moist, juicy, and slightly blackened in some places.

Prepare the risotto: Warm the vegetable broth in a saucepan. Keep it warm on the lowest setting possible as you prepare the risotto.

Preheat a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Saute the shallots in the oil for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, rosemary, and black pepper, and saute for 2 more minutes.

Add the white wine and salt, and raise the heat so that the wine boils and reduces for about 2 minutes. Lower the heat back to medium.

Add the rice and stir for about 3 minutes. The rice should soak up the liquid from the pot and have turned light brown. Add the broth by the cupful, stirring the risotto after each addition, until the broth is mostly absorbed (6 to 8 minutes). If the broth isn't absorbing, raise the heat a bit. It absorbs faster as the rice gets more and more tender.

With your last addition of broth, add the peas and stir. When the peas are warm and tender and most of the broth is absorbed, add the lemon zest, juice, and chopped parsley.

Cook, stirring, until all the broth is completely absorbed and the parsley has wilted. Spoon the risotto into a wide bowl or plate and overlap the red peppers on one side of the dish. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.

CURRIED UDON NOODLE STIR-FRY.

SERVES 4.

TIME: 35 MINUTES.

This saucy noodle dish is inspired by the slightly sweet, mellow curries that are hugely popular in j.a.pan for lunch and dinner, or so we hear. A simple roux-based curry sauce is prepared first, then stirred into udon, bits of sauteed seitan, and crisp veggies. Experiment-change the vegetables, use tofu in place of seitan, try different brands of curry powder-the variations are endless.

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