Leeky Abstraction Risotto

serves four as a main dish

1 cup uncooked Arborio or Carnaroli rice
1 1/2 cups minced white and light-green of leek
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
12 oz cooked chicken sausage*, sliced thick
1 bunch swiss chard
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 quart or more boiling water**
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
olive oil
2 Tb unsalted butter
not-too-hot vinegar-based hot sauce - e.g., Cholula
salt
freshly ground black pepper

* See label photo for Whole Foods product I happened to use.
** I use an electric tea kettle for this.

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees F. Put soup plates in the oven to warm.***

Separate the stems from the chard leaves. Chop the stems finely. Chop the leaves coarsely. Set both aside.

Heat a large dutch oven over a medium flame. When hot, add a couple Tb of olive oil, the leek, celery, sausage, and chard stems. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegegables are translucent and tender but still toothsome and not dull colored. Transfer everything to a large plate and set aside.

Clean the pan and return to medium heat. When hot, add a couple Tb of olive oil and the rice. Stir. Cook until a few grains of the rice begin to turn a little bit tan. (I.e., the usual risotto shtick.) Add the chicken stock. Reduce heat to low. Cook until the stock is nearly absorbed. Continue the risotto routine with the boiling water. See Marcella Hazan or other authority if you don't know the routine.

When the risotto is five minutes away from being done,**** raise heat to medium. Stir in the reserved sausage and sauteed vegetables, plus the chard leaves. Continue cooking.

When the rice is barely done, remove from heat. Stir in the butter and cheese. Taste. Season accordingly with salt and pepper. Add add additional hot water if needed. (Risotto is always better too wet than too dry; too dry makes it gluey.) Serve on the heated soup plates. Top with dots of hot sauce.

*** If you serve this dish on cold plates you deserve a stint in the gulag.

**** Yes, I know that if you are not a risotto geek you will not know when "five minutes before being done" is, but then if you are not a risotto geek you almost certainly have given up on this recipe before now. (This is the leeky abstraction part.)

Improbably Satisfying Beans with Kale

serves four as a side dish
N.B. #1 This is a vegan recipe, but don't let that put you off.
N.B. #2 This is a variation on a NY Times recipe that I've misplaced.

4 cups chopped fresh kale, no stems
1 13oz package cooked cannelini beans
2 Tb minced garlic
2 Tb minced shallot
1/2 cup minced fresh Italian parsley
1/4 cup dry white or rose wine
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Aleppo pepper*
freshly ground black pepper
coarse salt
1/2 lemon
6 Tb extra-virgin olive oil

* or substitute the more common "pizza house" hot pepper flakes

Preheat a large saute pan or dutch oven over a medium-low burner. When hot, add half the olive oil, the garlic, half the parsley, and the shallot. Toss. Cover and sweat for a couple of minutes. Remove cover and cook for a few more minutes until fragrant and no longer steaming. Do not allow to brown. Toss the beans into the mixture and cook slowly for 10 minutes or so, still without browning. Add Aleppo pepper to taste, and the paprika. Remove from heat and allow to sit at least 15 minutes for flavors to meld. The photo shows the dish at this point. Yum.

Return the pan to a medium-high burner. Add the water, wine, and kale. Allow the alcohol from the wine to evaporate - a minute or two. Cover and cook over medium heat until the kale wilts completely. Uncover and cook until kale is tender but has not acquired gray or other dull tones - keep tasting it. Remove from heat. Stir in the remaining parsley and remaining olive oil. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Serve immediately on heated plates.