Risi e Bisi

Fresh peas are one of spring and fall's true delicacies. They have such a short season, you have to snatch them up as soon as they're available, because in a few weeks, they'll be gone.

Risi e Bisi, or rice and peas, is a classic Italian dish. It's a cross between risotto and a thick soup. To get the right consistency, you have to use a short grain rice. Arborio rice, or one of its cousins, like Carnaroli, is best.

You can use either home-made or store-bought chicken broth or vegetable broth. You can make a vegetable broth from the pea pods if you don't mind this extra step. Place the empty pods (after you've shelled the peas) in a stock pot. Add 2 carrots, 2 ribs celery, 1 small onion, 1/2-1 t salt, a few peppercorns, a bay leaf, and 6 C cold water. Heat it to almost boiling. Turn down the heat and simmer slowly for about 45 minutes. Cool slightly. Then strain and discard the spent vegetables.

Risi E Bisi

2 T butter
1/4 C finely chopped onion
1 C Arborio rice
3-4 C broth
1 C shelled fresh peas
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 C freshly grated parmesan cheese
chopped fresh parsley for a garnish

1. In a medium to large stock pot, melt 2 T butter. Add the onion and saute until barely translucent.

2. Add the rice and stir to coat with the butter.

3. Stir in 1 C broth. Add the shelled peas. Continue stirring until the broth is nearly all absorbed.

4. Stir in remaining broth 1/2-1 C at a time, waiting until the broth is nearly absorbed before adding the next cup.

5. Continue stirring in broth until the rice and peas are tender and the dish is creamy or even a little soupy.

6. Remove from the heat. Stir in the parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour into bowls and garnish with finely chopped fresh parsley to serve.

Some recipes for Risi e Bisi call for a little chopped pancetta Omnivores may enjoy this tasty addition. You can add the chopped pancetta at the beginning when you're sauteing the onions in the butter.

Some folks like to garnish Risi e Bisi with finely chopped basil instead of parsley. Try it if you have some nice fresh basil.

Today's bounty included:

From Underwood Family Farms: Romaine lettuce, summer squash, leeks, sugar snap peas, bi-color corn, artichokes, jalapeno, and Sharlyn melon.

From Rancho Santa Cecilia: limes, mandarins, and Hass avocados.

And from Silver Lake Farms: mustard and arugula microgreens.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Spring Season Recipes for asparagus, celeriac, cauli and peas...

It's our second week with Sage Mountain Farm and I'm loving it. Phil, pictured here, makes the drive from Temecula. The traffic is awful but he's still smiling. Crops are coming in. Soil is warming...

Phil tells us the news - what the weather is doing and how things are going at the farm. The weather's been so crazy. Cold and frost have caused some damage. Farmers' markets make long, long days, in part because of Sage Mountain's rural location. It's all good tho. The work is rewarding. What Sage Mountain would love is a restaurant account or two Downtown/Eastside, delivering Fridays.

Elf? Local? Forage? Palate? Corina and Jane at Canele! Please check out Sage Mountain Farm!

Graham and I help Phil unload the veggies while he tells us a story about how NOT to erect a hoop house. He's funny.

It's a good week. Here's the scoop re the week's bounty:

From Sage Mountain Farm: Red Fire lettuce, golden beets, baby heirloom leeks, green scallions, tuscan kale, Chantennay carrots, broccoli leaves, Italian heirloom green garlic

From Underwood Family Farms: Romaine lettuce, celery root, asparagus, sugar snap peas, cauliflower, mizuna, purple carrots, blood oranges

From Rancho Santa Cecilia: grapefruits, Golden Nugget mandarins

From Silver Lake Farms: arugula and radish microgreens

This week's recipes comes from my dear, dear friend Sherry, who found them in a book. Sherry? What was the book?

She says: This vinaigrette is delicious with fennel, beets and carrots or on a citrus or avocado salad.

Blood Orange Vinaigrette

1 tsp finely grated orange zest

1/4 c fresh orange juice

2 tsp white wine or balsamic vinegar

Salt + Pepper

3 Tablespoons light olive or sunflower oil

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Combine orange juice + zest, vinegar and 1/8 tsp salt - let stand for 15 min. Whisk in the oils and season w/ a little pepper.

This is an exceptional recipe but you do need a few spices which are available at the Spice Station.

Curried Cauliflower & Peas

1/4 C vegetable oil

1/2 tsp toasted ground cumin

1/4 tsp asafetida

1/4 C peeled + diced ginger

4 tsp toasted ground coriander

1 tsp cayenne

1 tsp turmeric

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 large cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces w/stems

Salt

1/2 lb sugar snap peas, strings removed

2 tsp ground amchoor (green mango) powder

1 tsp garam masala

In wide pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add cumin and asafetida and cook for 3o seconds, stirring constantly. Add the ginger, coriander, chile, and turmeric and cook for 30 seconds more. Add onion, lower the heat, and cook until soft, stirring occasionally about 4 minutes. Add the cauliflower and 1 1/2 tsp salt. Mix everything together, then pour in 1/2 c water, cover the pot, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add the peas and cook for a few minutes more, until they're bright green. Add the amchoor powder and garam masala, stir together, taste for salt and serve over steamed rice.

Enjoy!

Tara

PS. Hello Shelley!!