You all liked the rice recipe so much it promoted me to
deliver yet another Springtime wonder...a recipe for RISOTTO
OF SPRING VEGGIES, the risotto being center stage among all
of the Spring favorites. You would be surprised to find Risotto
which is extra creamy is not as difficult to make as you might
have thought. This would make an excellent match by the way
plattered beside a nice glazed ham or poultry.

Enjoy!
Marzee

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RECIPE: RISOTTO OF SPRING VEGGIES

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INGREDIENTS
2 cups Arborio rice
2 quarts vegetable stock in which pea shells have been simmered
8 Tbs. butter
2 leeks, sliced thin
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2/3 cup fresh peas
2/3 cup peeled fava beans
2/3 cup baby artichokes, sliced
1 Tbs. parsley, chopped fine
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:
Melt half the butter over medium heat. Add leeks and onion.
When onion mixture is transparent, add rice and stir to coat
grains well. When rice glistens and becomes opaque, start
adding stock a ladleful at a time, over heat high enough to
evaporate the liquid. Add a ladleful at a time, after each
addition evaporates, but don't let rice dry out. After 5
minutes, fold in the artichoke slices. When rice is half done
(10 minutes), add salt and pepper. Add as much of the rest of
the simmering stock to the rice as needed to make it tender
but not mushy, a ladleful at a time, stirring, for about 5
minutes more. Add peas, fava beans and butter and toss with
rice, gently. Serve at once. Optional: shave parmesan cheese
over each serving.

Yield: 6 Servings
Category: Side Dishes, Vegetables
http://www.thedailyrecipe.com

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WHAT IS RISOTTO?

Risotto means "little rice" in Italian and should be treated
like a puppy, that is, it needs to be constantly watched.
Arborio rice (an extra-starchy rice) comes from Italy and
is the most commonly found short-grain rice. Its short, fat
grains have a hard starchy center and a soft starchy shell.

So it makes sense that, when cooked, the soft shell produces
creaminess while the center remains crunchy. The best Arborio
rice is a premium Carnaroli rice imported from Italy. It's
hard to find but worth the search. The rice is added to onion
that has been sauteed in butter and/or oil; tossed until
coated, and cooked uncovered.