Ingredients
400g greens (think cavolo nero, broccoli or cauliflower leaves, spinach, rainbow chard or even spray-free weeds like dandelion and nettle)
5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to finish
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp fennel seeds
3 garlic cloves, peeled and grated or crushed
¾ tsp chilli flakes
175ml dry white wine
250g pearled spelt (also labelled as farro)
750ml vegetable or chicken stock
½ tsp fine sea salt, plus a pinch extra to finish
Juice of half a lemon
1 large handful (75g) shelled walnuts, to serve
Goats cheese, to serve
Summary
Got a mountain of leafy greens? Hook them up with nutty, tender spelt in this fabulous, flavourful combo – it’s chewy, a little spicy from the chilli and fennel, and works brilliantly with top shelf kales or weedy nettles. Use the greens you’ve got, grab a blender and don’t skip the walnuts if you can help it, they’re the ultimate garnish here. 💚
Green Spelt Risotto
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Strip the greens leaves by firmly holding the base of each stem with one hand and pushing up its length with the other, pulling off the leaves. Compost the stems.
Add the leaves handful by handful to the boiling water and simmer for five minutes, then drain and wash under cold running water until cool enough to handle. Squeeze out as much excess water from the greens as you can, then roughly chop the leaves and put them in a blender. Add 150ml water and blitz to a thick puree.
Put the oil in a large pan over a medium heat and, once hot, add the onion and fennel seeds, and cook, stirring every now and then, for 12 minutes, until soft and starting to brown. Stir in the garlic and chilli flakes, and cook for two minutes.
Pour in the wine, let it bubble for a couple of minutes, then add the spelt and about a quarter of the stock (200ml). Once the liquid has been absorbed, or is starting to run low, stir in a third of the remaining stock, letting it be absorbed bit by bit, and repeat until the spelt is tender.
Add the blitzed green mixture and season with the salt, stir, leave to bubble away for five minutes, then take off the heat. Stir through lemon juice.
Pop the walnuts in a clean towel and whack them with a rolling pin until roughly crushed (or roughly chop them). Put a tablespoon of oil in a small frying pan on a medium to high heat and, when hot, add the nuts and a pinch of salt, and fry, stirring, for three minutes.
Distribute the spelt across four plates, place a mound of nuts on each, crumble over some goats cheese and bathe everything in more extra-virgin olive oil, if you wish.
Hints and Tips
This recipe is Meera Sodha with alterations.
