Green Risotto

Now that the Farmer's Market season is once again upon us (hooray!), I've been playing a little game in which I try to make meals with ingredients that I a) already have on hand and b) only get from my Saturday excursions to the North Market. (It's also a fun game to play if you're trying NOT to spend money like a drunken sailor.)

Last night, in the spirit of the game, I decided to use the last of the asparagus that I got from Saturday's market, whatever I had in my fridge, and some herbs from my garden and make a 'green' risotto.

I love risotto. You can put damn near anything in it and it's delicious--shrimp, chicken, wine, vegetables, cream, cheese.... I remember the first time I think I tried it was my senior year in college (it's amazing, how far the Ham Sandwich has come!), and my then-boyfriend took me to a Valentine's Day dinner in the Italian North End of Boston. I had mushroom risotto and fell in love (with the risotto; unfortunately, not with the boyfriend). It was creamy, rich, earthy and was unlike any pasta dish I'd had before.

Anyways, risotto, like I said, is a great vehicle for the random leftover meats and veggies you may have hanging out in your fridge. In this case, I had an onion, some asparagus, about a cup or so of chicken broth, and a handful of "Italian Trio" shredded cheese from Kroger...

I'd also like to point out the incredible amount space I have on my counter. It felt like acres and was completely fantastic to be able to spread out (that being a relative term), but it is sadly only temporary, due to this:

Leaking bathtub = hole in the ceiling = a dozen oil, vinegar, and seasoning bottles get moved elsewhere, and I suddenly have prep space...

Back to the point of this post...from the herb pots out front, I cut some Italian parsley and some lime thyme. Lemon generally goes nicely with asparagus, and since I didn't have any lemons/juice on hand, I figured that lime thyme would give it a general citrus essence. I also blanched the asparagus for about 1-2 minutes in a pot of boiling water before chopping it up.

Risotto is only marginally more involved than making regular pasta, but only because you have to do a little more stirring and adding. To start, saute some chopped up onion (1/2 c.) and garlic (1-2 cloves) in some olive oil, over medium low heat, until soft. Then add the dry risotto (I did 1/2 c. risotto for 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth). Cook the dry risotto and onions for a minute or two, until the grains become somewhat translucent. Then, add 1/2 c. of stock/broth/water/maybe some white wine and set to a low simmer:

When the liquid is almost gone, add another 1/2 c. Stir, and allow to simmer again. Add the last 1/2 c. of liquid, simmer until not-quite evaporated and check for doneness. If the risotto is still a little chewy, and another 1/2 c. of liquid and repeat the process. When the risotto is tender but still has a little liquid left, throw in a handful of whatever cheese/herbs/seasonings you may have on hand, a few twists of fresh ground pepper, and the veggies. Toss is all together over the low heat, adjust the salt/seasonings as necessary and devour.

Spring in a pan!