a new "farewell summer, welcome autumn" ritual

even though i cannot get enough of the sunny california weather, being an east-coast transplant i definitely do miss the feeling of seasons, especially this time of year when the dog days of summer are over and the crisp autumn air has just arrived. back east, this is the time when the trees have reached their richest golden, blood orange hues, and there is not a more picturesque time to enjoy the outdoors. so even though the transition from summer to fall is not evident from just being outdoors in california, i have begun to notice it at the local markets. we are seeing the last of our summer corn, peaches and heirloom tomatoes. they will soon be replaced with pomegranates, squashes and sweet potatoes.

i felt that without the apparent goodbye to summer and welcome to autumn weather from back east, the best way to experience this annual ritual out here in california was through food. so this past sunday, i hosted a "farewell to summer/hello to autumn" dinner for a couple of friends. thinking about the menu, i knew i had to have heirloom tomatoes for the "farewell to summer" part" as i will miss them most as we head into the cooler months of fall. i also could not leave out the sweetness of summer corn, which brings me right back to every summer in maryland where my family's chesapeake bay blue crab fests would always be accompanied by a bushel of buttered summer corn. slap some old bay seasoning on both and you have exactly what summer is all about in maryland. as for the autumn side of the menu, all i could think about was thanksgiving dinner. to me, the thanksgiving dinner table is what autumn produce is all about: pumpkin and apple pie, sweet potatoes, and mashed potatoes. i finally decided on a duo of risottos featuring some of the best of both seasons. to represent the summer, i chose to use one of my favorite risotto recipes from peter berley's the modern vegetarian kitchen substituting heirlooms for the regular tomatoes the recipe calls for. for autumn, i created a new recipe featuring three of my fall favorites: parsnips, sweet potatoes and yams. served alongside jamie oliver's pot-roasted pork in white wine with garlic, fennel and rosemary (found on page 172 of happy days with the naked chef) and finished with apple strudel a la mode, i think i found a new way to let go of summer and welcome autumn, even if it still is eighty-degrees outside.

jess' autumn risottoserves 4ingredients:1 1/2 quart chicken stock
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 medium sized parnsip, sweet potato and yam diced into equal sized pieces
1 medium sized white onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup chardonnay
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
parsley, minced for garnish

in a medium-sized saucepan, heat chicken stock to boil. keep at a constant boil.

heat saute pan over medium heat. add 1 tablespoon butter. when butter has melted, add brown sugar. stir until sugar has dissolved. add diced parsnips, sweet potatoes and yams. cook for about 10 minutes or until vegetables become tender. set aside.*

reheat saute pan over medium heat. add remaining butter. when butter has melted, add diced onions and minced garlic. cook until onions are translucent. add arborio rice and coat with cooked onions. add wine and stir. when rice has absorbed all the wine, add 1 cup of hot chicken stock at at time, stirring and allowing rice to absorb liquid between adding more chicken stock.** continue until risotto is al dente, tender but still with a bite to it. add diced parsnips, sweet potatoes and yams back right before risotto is done. fold in about 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese. serve with parsley and remaining parmesan cheese.

*i like to cook these root vegetables outside of the risotto to create a sweet caramelization which adds a bit of sweetness to your autumn risotto.
**i like to add a good sprinkle of salt with each addition of chicken stock to give the risotto a deeper flavor.