Springtime Risotto

During the spring months, the farmers markets are filled with early spring produce and for people who love to cook, especially seasonally, the spring vegetable season is the beginning of many months of fresh vegetables and fruit.

Last week the 32nd Street Market (Waverly) had an abundance of vegetables and the asparagus and leeks were overflowing! I love asparagus and enjoy it in risotto as you can see from a previous post, here.

For the last few days in Baltimore, it's been either sunny and unseasonably cold, or a torrential downpour of rain and cold. Last night I decided to use the opportunity for good, comforting, warm risotto confettied with spring vegetables.

Preheat oven to 400*F.

For the spring vegetables:

1 lb fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 inch peices

2 large leeks, sliced in half, cleaned and cut into 2 inch peices

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Lay vegetables on baking sheet and toss together with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for about 25 minutes.

For the risotto:
1 c Arborio rice

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1 medium sweet onion, peeled and finely diced

3 tbsp dry vermouth (you can use a dry white wine, but I love the vermouth in this particular recipe)

4 cups heated chicken stock ( I like to have a little extra in case. Use as much as needed to get the rice al dente)

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 tbsp heavy cream

a wooden spoon (the essential tool)

Using a large skillet with a heavy bottom, heat the olive oil and butter over medium low heat and saute the onions until translucent. Add the Arborio rice, stir to coat with the oil and butter, and saute with the onions to toast each grain of rice, about 4 minutes. Once the rice is lightly toasted, add the vermouth, slowly stirring. After the rice has absorbed the vermouth and the skillet is nearly dry, add 1 cup stock, stirring occasionally, and cook over low heat until the stock is absorbed. Continue adding the stock, 1 cup at a time, until all the stock has been absorbed. Continue to stir the risotto as you add the stock. (Adding the liquid in stages, instead of all at once, allows the grains of rice to expand more fully, adding to the risotto's creamy texture.) Once the rice has been added to the pan, the entire cooking process will take about 20 minutes.

Remove the roasted leeks and asparagus, and add to the risotto. Stir to combine, add the heavy cream and parmesean, stirring once more and allow to cook about 1 minute.

For garnish:

I added 1/2 c fresh peas (not roasted) and 1/3 c fresh mint. The mint and the peas really add the extra flavor kick to this risotto, that I think is essential to this springtime dish!

Risotto Cakes

I had leftover risotto and wanted to make use of it instead of picking at it every time I open the refrigerator over the next few days, per my usual routine.

These are simple and I ate them with a poached egg on top for Sunday breakfast. I also love putting a risotto cake on top of a great green salad with some tomato's and goat cheese.

For the cakes:

1 cup leftover risotto

2 tbsp butter

1 egg, beaten

salt and pepper

(Cooks note: you could also stick a bit of buffalo mozzarella inside each cake for a cheesy surprise)

Combine egg, salt and pepper and risotto together until mixed well.

Meanwhile, heat butter over medium heat in a frying pan.

Form risotto into cakes and fry for about 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown and crisp. Serve immediately.

Basil Risotto

The smell of basil reminds me of my mother's garden, which is by far the prettiest city garden in Baltimore. This risotto was great served under grilled fish.

1 c Arborio rice
2 tbsp pure olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and finely diced
1/2 c dry white wine
3 c chicken stock
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp heavy cream
good size handful fresh basil chiffonade ( cut into long thin strips)

Using a large skillet with a heavy bottom, heat the olive oil over low heat and saute until translucent. Add the Arborio rice, stir to coat with the olive oil, and saute with the onions to toast each grain of rice, about 7 minutes.
Once the rice is lightly toasted, add the white wine slowly, stirring. (If you don't use wine, just proceed forward)After the rice has absorbed the white wine and the skillet is nearly dry, add 1 cup stock, stirring occasionally, and cook over very low heat until the stock is absorbed.
Continue adding the stock, 1 cup at a time, until all the stock has been absorbed. Once the rice has been added to the pan, the entire cooking process will take about 20 minutes. After all of the liquid has been added and the rice is chewy yet fully cooked, with a creamy texture, add the butter, Parmesan, basil and heavy cream. Stir to combine all the ingredients and serve immediately.