Spring Harvest Risotto
As you may have guessed, risotto is one of my staple dishes. I have a number of seasonal risotto recipes in my repertoire and never tire of trying out new inspiration for risotto. I’ve been romanced by a dream of this Spring Harvest Risotto for a number of weeks. I was inspired seeing all those fresh spring peas, asparagus, fava beans, corn and bright yellow squash blossoms at the Alemany Farmers Market in the San Francisco Bay Area. I hope you’ll enjoy this Spring Harvest Risotto as much as we do.
Spring Harvest Risotto
2014-06-19 13:55:30
Serves 10
Risotto is a welcome dish anytime of the year, I've been romanced by a dream of this Spring Harvest Risotto for a couple of weeks. Seeing all those fresh spring peas, asparagus, fava beans, corn and bright yellow squash blossoms at the farmers markets in the San Francisco Bay Area. I finally got my boys together one Saturday afternoon and we all prepped our ingredients and began cooking this delicious spring risotto.
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
25 min
Total Time
45 min
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
389g
Servings
10
Amount Per Serving
Calories 383
Calories from Fat 84
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 10g
15%
Saturated Fat 3g
14%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 5g
Cholesterol 9mg
3%
Sodium 730mg
30%
Total Carbohydrates 56g
19%
Dietary Fiber 16g
62%
Sugars 10g
Protein 21g
Vitamin A
23%
Vitamin C
42%
Calcium
19%
Iron
28%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Ingredients
- 2 Cups of Risotto Rice (Arborio, Carnaroli or Vialone Nano)
- 4 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 Cups of Chopped Onion
- 1 Cup of Dry White Whine
- 6 Cups of Hot Vegetable or Chicken Stock
- 1 Bunch Fresh Small Asparagus (Cut into 1.5" pieces)
- 1 Lb Fresh or Frozen English Peas (Shelled if fresh)
- 1 Lb Fresh Fava Beans (Shelled and Hulled)
- 12 Fresh Squash Blossoms (Stamens removed and cut into 1" slices) plus 5 for garnish
- 2 Fresh Ears of Corn (Kernels sliced off the ears)
- 1 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- Pour yourself a glass of white wine as you'll enjoy this therapeutic recipe more with a good glass of wine and you need to taste it before you add it to your risotto. Ready your big guns and those of a beloved in case you tire of stirring for 20-25 minutes.
- Prepare the squash blossoms, onion, asparagus, peas and favas and place in separate containers.
- Heat the stock to a very slow simmer.
- To a large heavy 8-10 quart pan add the olive oil and heat over medium high heat then add onions and stir until the onions are translucent.
- Add the rice and stir vigorously, coating each grain of rice with olive oil until you hear the rice begin to crackle in the oil.
- Add the white wine and stir until the wine is taken up by the rice.
- Add two ladles of hot stock and stir until almost all the stock is absorbed by the rice.
- Continue adding stock and stirring it into the rice until the rice reaches an al dente stage (rice still has a little crunch when bitten)
- Add the corn kernels and stir into rice.
- Add another ladle of stock and stir until partially combined
- Add the peas, asparagus and favas and stir into the rice.
- Add a little more stock and stir.
- Add the squash blossoms and stir to combine.
- Test the asparagus for doneness before serving with freshly grated Parmesan.
- Garnish plates with fresh squash blossoms and parmesan atop each serving or on top of a family style serving platter.
Notes
- Remember, risotto waits for no one. Have your table set and plates heated just as your rice is completing it's cooking process. Avoid overcooking the delicate green veggies as they will quickly turn grey. Don't stop stirring until your rice is the perfect consistency individual rice grains are coated in their own silky sauce. Since all the additions will cook very quickly, I course the individual additions beginning with the corn followed by the peas, favas and asparagus ending with the squash blossoms to insure even cooking and bright colors. I garnished my risotto with fennel fronds and whole squash blossoms.
The Certifiable Foodie http://thecertifiablefoodie.com/
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