In which I get in touch with my inner pioneer woman: Peas and Parsley Risotto

Today I shucked peas. I sat at my kitchen table, a bowl at my right for the peas, a bowl at my left for the pods, and methodically tore off the ends, split the pods down the middle and slid my thumbs along the inside to release the little green orbs. I felt like I should have been wearing a muslin dress, playing out some storyline of a Laura Ingalls Wilder book, or an episode of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. Dr Quinn was one of my favorite TV shows growing up. What's not to love about a strong female doctor making her way in the Wild West, saving lives and changing minds? But I digress...back to the peas. The peas came in our CSA box and, as with many things that come in the box, I did not know what to do with it. I turned to my trusty cookbook, Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, by Deborah Madison and a recipe for risotto with peas caught my eye. It ended up being quite tasty. The peas made a satisfying pop when you bit into them which I've never experienced with frozen ones and the risotto was much creamier than I usually make it. I normally make risottos with little to no dairy, probably because the first risotto I ever made was for a vegan friend. This recipe, however, called for cream, and since I had some crème fraîche on hand I decided to go for the full dairy risotto experience.

Risotto with Parsley and Peas

Risottos are very labor intensive, but I think that's why I like making them. The continual stirring becomes hypnotic and you can almost loose yourself in the cooking process. Have fun!

For the parsley liquid:

2 bunches of parsley to yield ~ 3 cups of packed parsley leaves, discard the stems.
1.5 cups of water
.25 tsp salt

For the risotto:

2-3 tbsp of butter I used unsalted
1.5 cups Aborio rice pearl barley might work as well
.5-1 cup dry white wine the wine lends an acidity to the risotto which brings out the flavors. I sometimes even use a 1 to 1 ratio of wine to rice. Use anywhere from .5 to 1 cups depending on your taste, more would be overpowering for this risotto.
5 cups of broth or water I used water this time
One medium sized onion, or several shallots, or several spring onions, finely chopped
1.5 cups of shelled peas, fresh or frozen.
.5 cups of cream, marscapone cheese, or crème fraîche
.33-.5 cups of grated Parmesan, plus more for the table
salt and pepper to taste

1. Make the parsley liquid by bringing the 1.5 cups of water to a boil and then adding the parsley leaves and .25 tsp salt and cooking for 1 minute. Take the pot off the heat and let cook for 5 minutes. Purée in a blender or other instrument of your choice until smooth. Set aside.

2. Prepare to make the risotto by heating the 5 cups of stock or water to a simmer in a small pot. Have a ladle or measuring cup near by.

3. Heat the butter in a wide heavy bottomed skillet or sauce pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir constantly for about one minute, until the centers of the grains are white and the outsides translucent. Add the wine and stir constantly until absorbed. At this point I usually just start adding the broth/water 1/2 a cup at a time, stirring until each addition is absorbed. Deborah recommends adding 2 cups of stock and covering, stirring occasionally until the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. I tried it her way and it worked fine. After the two cups is absorbed, continue to add the rest of the liquid in 1/2 cup increments, stirring constantly throughout the process.

4. When the rice is close to being done and you've gone through most or all of the liquid, turn up the heat a little and add the parsley liquid all at once, stirring furiously until its all absorbed. When its just about absorbed add the peas and the cream, then season with salt and pepper, remembering that you are going to add some Parmesan, so it better not be too salty. Take off the heat, stir in the Parmesan and serve.