Saffron Risotto with Balsamic 

Roasted Grapes 

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will 

worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Matthew 6:34

 

Food for the Palate

Instructions:

1 cup seedless green grapes (halved)

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

6 cups chicken stock 

4 tablespoons unsalted butter 

3 shallots

1/4 pound of diced bacon

1 Tbsp olive oil 

1 1/2 cups Arborio rice 

1/2 cup dry white wine 

1/4 tsp saffron threads (just a pinch)

1 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp pepper 

2/3 cup freshly grated pecorino cheese, plus extra for serving

Instructions:

In a medium bowl add 1 cup of grapes that are cut in half. Add 1 Tbsp of olive oil and 1 Tbsp of balsamic vinegar and mix well. Lay the grapes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roast in the oven for 15 minutes. Removed from oven and set aside. 

In a large skillet add the diced bacon and cook until crispy. Set aside. In same skillet sauté shallots for about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and add to your bacon. 

In a medium saucepan, heat the chicken stock and keep it hot on the stove. Make sure you have a ladle handy. 

Add butter to the large skillet on medium high heat. Once the butter has melted, add the rice. Cook the rice for 10 minutes and then add the wine and cook for 5 minutes. Add 2 full ladles of the chicken stock mixture to the rice plus the saffron, salt and pepper. Stir and simmer over low heat until the chicken stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue to add the stock mixture, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes. Make sure you cook the rice mixture until it seems a little dry before you add more of the chicken stock. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still firm, about 25 to 30 minutes total. When done, the risotto should be thick and creamy and not dry. Fold in the roasted grapes, sauteed shallots and bacon.

Take your pan off of the heat, stir in the pecorino cheese. Serve hot in bowls with extra cheese. I love to top mine with sauteed shrimp! Tasty to the Palate!

Food for the Soul

This recipe calls for a tiny little amount of “saffron threads”. It takes just a pinch to go a long way and makes all the difference too! But just what is this expensive, colorful spice?

Saffron is collected from the Crocus sativus, a flower better known as the “saffron crocus.” Each bloom from this crocus produces three yellow styles, each of which ends with a crimson-red stigma. The blend of golden style and crimson stigma create what is known as a saffron thread. These threads are pulled by hand and dried, resulting in a fragrant, beautiful spice that is prized all over the world. 

So why exactly is it so costly? The answer is that it is extremely complicated to harvest saffron. The saffron crocus only blossoms during a short period in the fall. Once a flower blooms, it must be picked that same day, as it begins to wilt almost immediately. Since each flower contains only three delicate stigmas, it takes upwards of 50,000 flowers to yield one pound of dried saffron. In order to pick the delicate threads one must "seize the day" when that short window occurs. Taking into account the intensive work needed for a comparatively small yield, it is not difficult to see why saffron is so expensive. 

So, what does saffron taste like? Some will note its sweet, honey-like flavor, while others find it earthy and musky, and still others are able to notice a balance of the two. Saffron is cherished as much for its color as its flavor, exposing a rich, golden yellow shade onto recipes ranging from saffron risotto, curries and bouillabaisse. If you are concerned about the cost, don’t worry! A little goes a long way. For most dishes, you will only need 1-3 threads to get good results.

We have all heard of the phrase “Carpe diem” which is pronounced ‘kar pay dee um’. This is a Latin phrase meaning “seize the day,” or more literally, “pluck the day when it is ripe”, (just like saffron). This phrase implies that we should live for today and not worry about tomorrow. Although the concept of carpe diem has some value to it, there are also some negative connotations that a Christian should consider before using it as a life motto.

Jesus shared His own translation of ‘carpe diem’ in Matthew 6:34 when He said; “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”  Jesus’ instructions differ from the customary understanding of carpe diem in that Jesus’ focus was on trusting God for tomorrow, not pretending it won’t come.  Our lives were given to us for a purpose, but that purpose is not what the world tells us it is. We were not given life so that we could “seize the day” in selfish ways. Our purpose is to glorify God in everything we do. 1 Corinthians 10:31:   “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” So, how about we “Carpe diem” for Jesus and not worry about the cost? Satisfying to the Soul!