Mushroom, Rosemary and Goat Cheese Risotto

Name: Mushroom, Rosemary and Goat Cheese Risotto
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 3 tsp olive oil; 8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced; 1 medium onion, finely chopped; 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 2 cups Arborio rice; 1/2 cup dry white wine; 6 cups chicken stock, warmed; 4 oz goat cheese; Salt & fresh pepper to taste; 3 tsp olive oil; 8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced; 1 medium onion, finely chopped; 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 2 cups Arborio rice; 1/2 cup dry white wine; 6 cups chicken stock, warmed; 4 oz goat cheese; Salt & fresh pepper to taste

I know I know…you thought my fascination with goat cheese was over. Warning! It will NEVER be over! Especially when I have an assortment of some wonderful products from my friends at Cypress Grove Chevre in my fridge. They were not only kind enough to sponsor the Goaterie challenge last month with prizes for our winners, but they also sent me a beautiful assortment of cheeses to try. I’ve had the amazing Humboldt Fog during a Twitter wine tasting of Virginia Viogniers that I hosted recently and the other day I decided to use their Herb de Humboldt product in a risotto I made with mushrooms and rosemary. It was perfect, adding just the right amount of creamy tang with some herbs that complemented the fresh rosemary that I wanted to include from my garden.

I love risottos; they have a reputation for being difficult to make but are actually quite easy; they do require that you pay attention a bit but that doesn’t translate to hard by any means. I love that they lend themselves to a never ending assortment of ingredients. That includes using other than arborio rice…next on my list I want to try a barley risotto; I hear it’s wonderful! Wondering if any of my family will recognize my Grandma Bathe’s dish that my cousin Pat sent to me a few years back? Not used often for fear of breaking it but it seemed the perfect bowl for this risotto.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all of cheeses from Cypress Grove Chevre but I think I’m most proud of associating with a company that shares a true spirit of giving back. Their history of supporting and encouraging individuals, institutions and non-profit organizations that are dedicated to improving the quality of life for their community is evident in their focus to support Women, Youth and Education. They have a pretty amazing list of organization that are recipients of their giving and I’m impressed.

That same spirit is woven throughout the organization and though Cypress Grove is a leader in the domestic goat cheese market; their attention to detail has not wavered and I would invite you to learn more about them, their cheesemaking process and certainly try some for yourself. Available in many Whole Foods stores, they also are available online. In Denver, I know they also have Cypress Grove Chevre products at the Denver Truffle on 6th Avenue.

Experiment with adding your favorite goat cheese to this dish; you won’t be sorry. Promise.

Yield: Serves 6-8