Polly's Buckwheat Risotto with Winter Vegetables and Field Mushrooms

You can make this as Polly does over fire; giving you a magical smoky, umami-ness that you just don’t get on the hob (though it’s still delicious if you’re making this on a weekday night in a heavy-bottomed pot in your kitchen).

Buckwheat is a gluten-free seed (not grain!) that is rich in fibre and magnesium. It’s a great addition if you’re looking to lower blood sugar spikes at meal times; keeping us fuller for longer due to the high fibre content.

Serves 6 as a main, 8 as a starter.

Ingredients

Risotto Ingredients

• 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 3 medium red onions, sliced

• 3 cloves garlic, chopped

• 2 heaped tbsp dried oregano

• A bunch of cavolo nero or other seasonal greens roughly chopped

• 400g uncooked buckwheat

• 200-300ml bone or vegetable broth

• 300-400ml hot water

• 150g of fresh soft sheep or goats cheese or 50g Nutritional Yeast

• 150g wild mushrooms

• Salt and black pepper, to taste

• 1 lemon, juice and rind

• A good hand full of fresh sage leaves, roughly chopped

Toppings

• 1 x small seasonal squash (c.500-700g), cut into 3cm chunks (skin on, seeds in)

• A hand full pine kernels

• Pinch of salt and black pepper, to taste

• 2 tbsp of olive oil

• 200g woodland mushrooms (oyster and porcini sliced long ways look beautiful)

• A hand full of fresh sage, roughly chopped

• 8 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves picked off stems

• 4 garlic cloves, crushed

• 1 lemon, juiced

Method

This recipe is designed for fire cooking but works equally well on the hob. For fire cooking, use a good cast iron pan, such as a dutch oven. If using the hob, a heavy-bottomed pan will suffice.

1. Light your fire early and let it settle to a medium heat. Use sustainable charcoal or kiln-dried wood for a smoky flavour. If cooking on a hob, preheat a heavy-bottomed pan to medium heat

2. Heat a pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When the oil starts to bubble, add the sliced red onion. For fire cooking, move the fire around the pan to maintain medium heat. On the hob, reduce heat to medium once onions are added. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until translucent and softened. This process releases their natural inulin, which is beneficial for digestion.

3. Add the buckwheat to the softened onions and stir to coat in the onion juices. Let it fry slightly then add the dried oregano and stir.

4. Gradually add the broth and the remaining olive oil, stirring thoroughly every few minutes. Allow the mixture to simmer between stirs. If the mix starts to look dry, add some of your water a little at a time

5. When the buckwheat has had around 10 minutes cooking, add the cavolo nero and chopped mushrooms. The risotto is done when the buckwheat is cooked through with a slight bite (al dente). Do not add salt until this point as salt can change how the buckwheat cooks

6. Now move on to preparing the toppings. In a separate hot pan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil and add the squash pieces skin-side down

7. Add the roughly chopped sage, crushed garlic, and thyme. Cook until the squash skin has colour and is tender, then toss the squash in the pan to colour the flesh. Add the woodland mushrooms whole into the same pan when the squash is almost cooked. (If cooking in the oven, roast the squash at 180°C for 30 minutes, and fry the mushrooms whole separately)

8. Finish the squash and mushrooms with a squeeze of lemon and stir in the toasted pine nuts to absorb the flavours

9. Now go back to the risotto. Add in the lemon zest, juice and the chopped sage, stirring through over the heat

10. Remove from the heat, then add in the grated cheese or nutritional yeast seasoning to perfection. Add your squash and mushroom topping and enjoy by the fire.

Polly is founder of the Jolly Allotment Wellness Hub and The Jolly Trolly. Polly learned the power of chemical free food when it saved her life. She was told there was nothing in modern medicine that could cure her from a life threatening autoimmune condition. Choosing to die or find a way to live, she turned to ancient ways of healing living from the land. Reconnecting to food, nature and the regenerative cycle of life saved Polly, now her knowledge helps others reconnect to land, community and themselves through the power of food. Follow her on instagram for updates.