If you are anything like us, it feels like summer has truly arrived once\u00a0fresh peaches are in season.\u00a0Traditionally relegated to pies, compotes, desserts, or even a pizza, this risotto redefines\u00a0the juicy Georgia peach as a must-use ingredient for a savory summer dish.<\/p>\n

Combined with a couple squeaky cheese curds and a crunchy pecan chili topping this risotto is just delicious. Trust us on this one; we think your taste buds will agree.<\/p>\n

In our view, a risotto made entirely with traditional white Arborio rice, selected\u00a0for its high starch and short-grain creaminess,\u00a0misses the nutrition available\u00a0from whole grains. On a quest to eat healthier and more nutritious meals, this dish had been knocked down on our\u00a0dinner rotation somewhat. \u00a0Not willing to settle for that fate, we’ve been testing our alternatives.<\/p>\n

An exclusively\u00a0whole grain risotto (one using only short brown rice, wheat berries, barley, etc.) can be\u00a0quite earthy. We find\u00a0this 50\/50 blend keeps traditional risotto creaminess while boosting its nutritional benefit. \u00a0Consider it the best of both worlds, and a compromise for the whole grain\u00a0experimenter.<\/p>\n

If you are just starting out cooking with whole grains, it might be helpful to know that a spelt berry is the entire wheat kernel, and a variety of\u00a0wheat berry.\u00a0Either could be used\u00a0in this recipe.<\/p>\n

$\"Whole$

Spelt Berries and Arborio Rice<\/p><\/div>\n

Cheese curds, if you’ve never come across them, are the youngest form of cheese and most often a precursor to cheddar. \u00a0In small bite-sized bits, they have a slightly rubbery texture that squeak when eaten cold. \u00a0Once stirred into the risotto however, you’ll find a slightly chewy and delightfully stringy bite.\u00a0Typically from Wisconsin or Canada, they are available at many specialty grocers, though if you have trouble tracking them down use a flavorful Parmigiano-Reggiano instead.<\/p>\n

$\"Peach$ <\/p>\n

Last, though certainly not least, everyone knows that peaches and pecans are perfectly paired \ud83d\ude42 Thanks to Denis Cotter\u2019s For the Love of Food, <\/em>we’ve become big fans of a crumb topping on\u00a0risottos and the\u00a0great\u00a0variety of texture they bring. The slightly spicy and crisp pecan crumb reunites the Georgia peaches with their perfect companion, and rounds the dish out for a delightful summer meal.<\/p>\n

$\"Pecan$
Pecan Chilli Crumb<\/p><\/div>\n
$\"Peach$ <\/p>\n
Enjoy with a simple side salad, and a glass of Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
Peach & Spelt Berry Risotto with a Pecan Chilli Crumb<\/h2>\n
\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\t\tSweet Georgia peaches and a toasty pecan crumb accentuate this creamy risotto packed with the whole grain nutrition of spelt berries. Wheat berries can also be substituted for spelt berries.\t<\/p>\n
\n
Risotto<\/h4>\n
\n
3\/4 cups spelt berries<\/li>\n
6 cups of low-sodium vegetable stock<\/li>\n
1 onion<\/li>\n
3 cloves of crushed garlic<\/li>\n
3\/4 cups arborio rice<\/li>\n
1\/2 cup white wine<\/li>\n
1 teaspoon of thyme<\/li>\n
1 tablespoon olive oil<\/li>\n
2 fresh peaches<\/li>\n
1 cup of fresh cheese curds<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Crumb topping<\/h4>\n
\n
2-3 small slices (approx 40 grams of bread (day old or frozen))<\/li>\n
4 tablespoons pecans (chopped coarsely)<\/li>\n
2 tablespoons parsley (chopped finely)<\/li>\n
2 teaspoons of dried red chili flakes<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n
\n
Risotto<\/h4>\n
\n
Boil the spelt berries in plenty of water for 20 minutes, until semi-tender.<\/li>\n
Warm stock in a second pot, keep on low heat.<\/li>\n
In a large stockpot on medium heat, saut\u00e9 the diced onion and garlic in olive oil, about 5 minutes<\/li>\n
Add the arborio rice, and stir until slightly toasty, about 3-4 minutes.<\/li>\n
Add the spelt berries, white wine, and thyme.<\/li>\n
Stir risotto mixture over low-medium\/medium heat until warmed and most liquid is absorbed. Add 1\/3 cup of stock and stir until absorbed. Continue to add stock 1\/2 cup at a time, stirring regularly, keeping the temperature at a very soft simmer. While the risotto cooks, prepare the crumb topping.<\/li>\n
When approximately 1 cup of stock remains, check the tenderness of the risotto to your taste and continue adding stock as desired.<\/li>\n
Slice the peaches into bite sized pieces.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Crumb Topping<\/h4>\n
\n
Toast your bread on low until it is dried out and crisp on each side.<\/li>\n
Chop the bread, along with the pecans and parsley, into rough crumbs.<\/li>\n
In a pan heat up 1 tbsp olive oil and add bread crumbs, pecans and parsley, string frequently until toasted and fragrant. Set aside.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Plating<\/h4>\n
\n
Immediately before serving, stir the peach slices and cheese curds into the risotto pot.<\/li>\n
Dish into a bowl, and top with a generous sprinkling of crumb<\/li>\n
Serve with a simple green side salad, and glass of Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc<\/li>\n<\/ol><\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
Please, let us know what you think!<\/p>\n
$\"Peach$ <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
If you are anything like us, it feels like summer has truly arrived once\u00a0fresh peaches are in season.\u00a0Traditionally relegated to pies, compotes, desserts, or even a pizza, this risotto redefines\u00a0the juicy Georgia peach as a must-use ingredient for a savory summer dish. Combined with a couple squeaky cheese curds and a crunchy pecan chili topping…<\/p>\n
Read More »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1318,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[43],"tags":[35,134,132,133,69,97,135],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.sailsandspices.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Peach-Risotto-2.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7DJI0-l7","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailsandspices.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1309"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailsandspices.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailsandspices.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailsandspices.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailsandspices.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1309"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailsandspices.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1309\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3605,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailsandspices.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1309\/revisions\/3605"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailsandspices.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1318"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailsandspices.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1309"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailsandspices.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1309"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailsandspices.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1309"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}