It’s the simple things in life that bring me the most joy. And that happened this past Friday with the delivery of my CSA bin to my front door. Inside was a blast from my past. English peas. Let me tell you, my mom used to buy these from a local market where I grew up in Upstate New York and we would be out on the front porch shelling them…my sister, brother and I eating more of the peas than we put in the bowl for dinner.
Those were the days.
And when these arrived…that’s immediately what I thought of. I love a good bit of nostalgia and one of the best providers of that is…you guessed it…food! I won’t lie…I texted a picture of the peas to my sister and asked if she’d like to help shell them. She replied that she’d like to help eat more than she shelled. See…food brings back memories. Flavors can ignite passions, memories, and the past. And that is what cooking is all about.
So…what does one do with a pound of English peas? Well…there are so many options…but I wanted to go with one of my favorite things to make these days: Risotto.
The base of this recipe is from Giada De Laurentiis…because always trust an Italian to know risotto. I did add some bits and bobs to it…but, that’s what cooking is all about.
Recipe: Red Wine Risotto with English Peas
Servings: 4
Time: Prep 10 minutes; Cook 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (I used Smart Balance)
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 1/2 cup English peas, shelled
- 2-3 fresh chopped shitaki mushrooms
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus additional for garnish
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Bring the broth to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover the broth and keep it warm over very low heat.
Melt the butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat.
Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Stir in the rice and cook for about 2 minutes until the rice is toasted.
Add the wine and stir until it is absorbed, about 1 minute. Add 3/4 cup of hot broth; simmer over medium-low heat until the liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 6 minutes. Repeat, adding 3/4 cup of hot broth 3 more times, stirring often, about 18 minutes longer.
Add the remaining broth and simmer until the rice is just tender and the mixture is creamy, about 5 minutes longer.
Stir in the peas, mushrooms and parsley.
Add the 1/2 cup of Parmesan.
Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
Spoon the risotto into bowls. Sprinkle additional cheese over and serve.
~*~*~
Creamy, rich, and awesome…are the three words that come to mind after I tasted this risotto. The combination of the peas with the rice works so well. And the red wine was the kicker. It totally added this hint of sweetness to the entire dish. Pair that with the salty Parmesan and it was a match made in culinary heaven. Would I make this again? In a heartbeat.
Risotto can be time consuming…and it can be tricky. But with a little patience and a strong arm to keep stirring…you can throw together a masterpiece with some rice, seasoning, and whatever vegetables you have laying around the kitchen.
The Celiathlete 