Golden Beet, Oyster Mushroom, and Leek Risotto by Aquarius

3 medium (approximately Major League Baseball-sized) golden beets, tops removed
2 shallots (1 minced finely, 1 whole)
4 sprigs fresh thyme, divided
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
3 Tbsp. butter, divided
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. oyster mushrooms, chopped
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1 leek (white and light green part), minced finely
1 clove garlic, pressed or minced very finely
1 cup Arborio or Carnaroli rice
1/2 c dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc recommended)
3 1/2 c vegetable broth
1/3 c grated parmesan cheese
Salt & black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450°. In a double layer of tinfoil, place the beets with the whole shallot and 1 sprig of thyme in the center, and drizzle with olive oil. Fold the foil over and place in the oven to roast.

Heat vegetable broth in a saucepan; keep at a bare simmer over low heat.

Melt 2 T butter with 2 T olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When foaming, add the mushrooms, the white pepper, and the remaining thyme (stripped from its sprigs and chopped), and cook until golden brown, approximately 5 minutes. Add the leek, minced shallot, and garlic, and cook until translucent, approximately another 5 minutes. Add the rice and toast until the grains are translucent with white spots visible in the center, approximately 1 minute.

Add the wine to the pan and stir until it is absorbed. After that, drop the heat to medium, and it's just basic risotto technique with the vegetable broth: Add a ladleful, stir, let it absorb, add another ladleful.

When the risotto is almost done, pull the beets from the oven, peel them, discard the shallot and thyme sprig, and cube the roasted beets.

When the risotto is finished, remove it from the heat, stir in the remaining Tbsp. of butter, and then add the beets. Gently stir in the parmesan cheese, then season to taste with salt and pepper and add the parsley. Serve immediately.

You should have quite a bit of Sauvignon Blanc left, and I recommend drinking it alongside the risotto. The Sauv Blanc was really stellar with it; because of the mushrooms and leeks, the risotto has kind of a savory, almost Thanksgiving-y richness about it, and the bright acidity of the Sauv cuts through it like a hot knife through butter - and picks up the crispy sweetness of the beets, while it's up.

Next time, I might use a slightly more assertive mushroom - oysters are mild. I actually wanted chanterelles, but they weren't in stock at my grocer this time around. Also, I didn't like the look of the greens on this particular bunch of beets, but julienning them and throwing them in might make for an interesting variation.

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