Ingredients:
3 Tbs butter
1/4 C olive oil
1 Large bunch asparagus ( About a pound) Cut into ½ inch rounds
1/4 lb Shiitake Mushrooms Remove stems from caps and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 Small onion Chop to medium dice
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 ½ C Arborio rice
½ C Dry white wine
5 C Vegetable or chicken stock. (I like Organic Gourmet Bouillon)
½ C Parmesan cheese Finely grated
Juice and shaved rind of one small lemon
Preparation:
While prepping your ingredients, bring the stock to a simmer. You will want to keep the stock at a low simmer throughout the cooking process.
Make sure you have all your ingredients prepped and close at hand before you begin cooking. In a heavy bottomed, 4 quart sauce pan, heat the olive oil and 2 Tbs butter. Saute the asparagus and mushrooms over a medium heat for four minutes or until they begin to soften. Remove 3/4 of them and set aside for later use.
Add the onion, salt and pepper and saute until translucent. Add the rice and saute for three minutes, stirring continuously to avoid sticking. When the rice has absorbed the moisture of the onion, add the wine.
This is the point of no return. From here on you will have to stir the risotto more or less non-stop. Stir the rice until it has absorbed all the wine. Then add a ladle of simmering stock. Stir continuously until it is absorbed. When you pass the spoon along the bottom of the pan and there is an empty space that remains, add the next ladle of stock.
Continue this process, tasting occasionally, until the rice obtains the consistency of al dente pasta. Should you run out of stock add warm water. When the rice is done add the remaining butter, vegetables, lemon and cheese. Make sure that the risotto flows freely by adding a final ladle of stock that does not get fully absorbed. Stir well and serve immediately. Makes 4 generous portions.
Wow. Laura Avery, Market Supervisor of the Santa Monica Farmers' Markets, I salute thee. The Santa Monica Market has kicked it up a notch. While poking around the market today browsing about for interesting things for a few clients, I passed by a strange vendor. My first thought, you must be new, came just before I noticed his three metal bins on his table. And what IS that you have there?
Just spent 4 days walking and hiking around the Grand Canyon.
the canyon walls - if we don't fall in love with it enough to preserve and protect it... who will?If we don't enrich our lives by seeing the vastness of the American landscape, how will that change the America we give over to the next generation? What will be lost? Are we bringing up a generation who will value nature and understand their place within it? What's at stake?The potato is back on top! This year, the spuds take over the limelight as 2008 marks the Year of the Potato. And no, this isn't a gimmicky ploy by the French fry industry or the chip lobby. The potato reaches for a higher cause this year and brings us back to what all foods are supposed to do: Give us nutrients.
The potato is being hailed for its ability to play a huge role in the fight against global poverty and economic development for rural communities. The Year of the Potato also brings attention to the rapid loss of potato farmland in North America. In 1900, more than 300,000 potato farms speckled America, growing all kinds of potato varieties that each have their own flavor, color, and texture profile. Now, only 12,000 potato farms remain in the U.S. In fact, Europe and America have been surpassed in potato production and consumption by Asia.
Like its counterpart rice, which had its own year back in 2004, the potato is an excellent source of complex carbohydrates, protein, and vitamin C. Easily grown and harvested, increased attention and focus on potato farming globally means economic development for poor farmers and preservation of our small potato farmers here.
So go on, give the spud a second chance. The Potato Famine of the 1800's is wayyy behind us now and we gotta give some love back to the potato! To get you started, look for these potato farmers at the Santa Monica Wednesday Market: Jerry Rutiz Family Farms, Weiser Family Farms, Pritchett Farms, Xiong Pau (japanese yams, sweet potatoes), and Windrose Farms.
And try this spud-inspired recipe with your local, farm-fresh produce!
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Year of the Potato-Leek Soup
Place a deep pot over medium heat and melt butter. Add leeks (dice up the white/light green part only!) and chopped onion and sweat until both are very tender and translucent. Add 2 cups stock, diced potatoes, and salt. Raise heat to medium high and boil. When you see large bubbles reduce heat to simmer and recover to cook for 15 more minutes, until potatoes are tender when pierced. Let soup cool and puree in blender or food processor. Work in batches so as not to overfill and return pureed soup to pot. Adjust consistency by using remaining stock if needed. Reheat gently, stirring until visibly steaming. Ladle into bows and enjoy!
