When Five Counties Go to War

It was Wednesday Night at the start of June. It had been a day of conflict on the news and in other places more close to home. Sometimes after a day like that you need to stick on a record that's one of your favourites and never fails to gladden your heart. It was a tip I picked up from my Dad when he was working; if he'd had a tough day then he'd ask me to put on Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" or (if Mum was out of the house) the Pistols' "Never Mind the Bollocks".

In my case both of those records would have done the job but on this occasion I chose a record who's fame and the infamy of its creator has often overshadowed the music within; the record was Michael Jackson's Thriller. It's easy to forget the great music contained within this album, yes there is cheese- albeit performed sincerely, but there is also a lot of cutting edge music that pointed bold new ways forward. It captures MJ when he still ability and innovation in his armoury and before celebrity squashed him.

In order to revitalise me to tackle the challenges ahead I decided to make a Risotto. The ingredients were as follows:

1 Clove of Garlic thinly sliced.
2 Shallots finely sliced.
1 Butternut Squash filleted, peeled and then cubed.
1 teaspoon of Basil
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning- such as Rosemary, Marjoram and Thyme.
8 ounces of Risotto Rice.
2 diced Tomatoes.
3/4 of a pint of Water
1/2 a slab of Five Counties Cheese.

I fried the Garlic, Shallots, Butternut Squash, Basil and Italian Seasoning in Rapeseed Oil in my Le Cresceut dish for 20 minutes. I stirred the ingredients at intervals so as to ensure they didn't stick to the bottom of the dish.

I then added the 2 diced tomatoes and the Risotto Rice. Now came the tricky part of preparation as I needed to make sure that I didn't under cook the Risotto Rice. To assist with this I gradually added 3/4 pints of  water into the Rice and the rest of the ingredients over a period of 30 minutes until the rice absorbed the water totally.

At the end of the cooking I added most of the half a slab of Five Counties Cheese and allowed it to melt in to the Risotto to ensure it thickened. Five Counties Cheese is widely available at the delicatessens of most good quality local supermarkets. It comprises of five cheeses fused together being; Cheshire, Derby(shire), Double Gloucestershire, Red Leicester and Cheddar, a cheese of course from Somerset.

When I served the Risotto I added a little bit of the cheese and some Chives from my garden as extra decoration. The meal itself was extremely rich and flavoursome while the Butternut Squash  made it very nutritious as well.

Garden Fresh- the Chives stand out atop a deliciously rich and nutritious Risotto.