Book of Days Tales

The 2^nd Wednesday in April is celebrated as International Day of Pink, a worldwide anti-bullying and anti-homophobia event held annually. Though similar to Pink Shirt Day (held in February) in that it also seeks to end all bullying, the Day of Pink is more specifically aimed towards anti-LGBTQ+ bullying.

The event was sparked when a gay Canadian high-school student was witnessed by two fellow students being bullied at their school for wearing a pink shirt. The two students got everyone at their school to wear pink the following day as a gesture of support, inspiring Jer’s Vision (now Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity) to establish the International Day of Pink.

Pink food can also be a part of the day and you have enormous choices.  Here is a beetroot risotto.

Ingredients

500 gm fresh beetroot
2 tbsp olive oil
knob of butter
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
250 gm risotto rice
150 ml white wine
700 ml hot vegetable stock
grated Parmesan cheese
4 tbsp sour cream
chopped dill

Instructions

Heat oven to 160º C/320º F.

Peel and trim the beetroots and cut them into large wedges. Place them on a large sheet of foil on a baking sheet. Toss with 1 tbsp olive oil, season, then cook for 1 hour until the beets are soft.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil with the butter in an ovenproof pan with a lid over medium heat. Add in the onion and garlic, then cook for 3-5 mins until translucent. Stir in the rice until well coated with the butter and oil. Pour over the white wine, then let the mixture simmer for 5 mins.

Stir well, then pour over the stock. Stir again, cover and place in the oven. Cook for 15 mins or until the rice is soft. Remove the beetroots from the oven. Blend ¼ of them to make a purée, then chop the remainder into small pieces. Stir most of the Parmesan, the beetroot purée and chopped beetroot through the risotto, then serve with some sour cream and the dill and extra Parmesan scattered on top.