Asparagus and Mushroom Risotto

For me, risotto is a dish that embodies what cooking is all about.  The difference between rice and risotto is all in the technique.  If you were to simply put the rice and broth in a pot, bring to a boil, cover and leave it alone, in 20 minutes you'll get broth flavored rice.  But take the same rice and broth and add the willingness to give it your full attention for 20 minutes by adding the broth a bit at a time and stirring, and stirring, and stirring....well, then you get something truly wonderful.  Your patience (and all that stirring) coaxes the starch out of the rice and creates a texture that you'd swear should only come from the addition of heavy cream or cheese. That is what I love about risotto, creamy delicious satisfaction without the fat.

The recipe below is care of Alton Brown and the Food Network.

 Share Contents Used:

Asparagus from week 5

Ingredients

6 cups chicken broth
l cup dry white wine
2 tbs butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
Salt and pepper
2 Cups Arborio rice
5 oz (3/4 cup) mushrooms, cooked and coarsely chopped

1 1/2 cups cooked asparagus, cut into l-inch pieces
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 tsp grated lemon zest
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg

Preparation
In a saucepan with lid, heat the broth and wine to a simmer, then keep warm.

In large 3-4 qt saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and sweat until translucent. Add the rice and cook for 3-5 minutes or until the grains are translucent around the edges. Be careful not to allow the mixture to brown. 

Reduce the heat to low. Add enough of the wine and broth mixture to just cover the top of the rice. Stirring often, allow the rice to completely absorb the liquid. Once absorbed, add another batch of liquid to just cover the rice and repeat until all the liquid has been added. After the last batch of liquid is mostly absorbed, add the mushrooms and asparagus and stir until the risotto becomes creamy and the asparagus is heated through. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan, lemon zest and nutmeg. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Grilled Asparagus

I could not let asparagus season go by without putting them on the grill.  This simple preparation like this is arguably one of the best ways to enjoy these tender spears.  Grilling gives the best flavor, but roasting in the oven is a good alternative when the weather isn't cooperating.

Last night the asparagus from week 4's share went on the grill to serve as a side to some marinated grilled chicken kabobs. I used a plain preparation, which I've written out below along with two of my other favorite ways to prepare them.

Plain
As easy as it gets.  Trim, wash and toss on the grill over medium high heat.  This is all about letting the asparagus flavor shine, so cook them only long enough to get some good grill marks, 5 minutes or so, turning once. Serve immediately with a pinch as salt if desired.



Olive Oil & Herbs
Trim and wash the asparagus, then toss with olive oil, chopped fresh thyme, salt and pepper. Cook as directed above.  I love the fragrance and flavor that thyme adds, but just about any herb could work here.  Just use your imagination!




Butter and Garlic
Melt unsalted butter (1 tbs per pound of asparagus) and mix with crushed garlic.  Toss with the asparagus to coat then season with salt and pepper.  The butter will cool and stick to the asparagus, trapping the garlic against it.  I recommend this preparation only with the grill because it allows most of the butter to run off as the asparagus cooks.  Doing this on a sheet pan in the oven will result in your asparagus sitting in a pool of butter.

Asparagus and Quinoa Salad

Straight from the pages of Bon Appetit.  How could I not try this recipe where quinoa is combined with two of the items in my week 1 share. Because we did not have any handy, I omitted the walnuts in the recipe.  Also, I used yellow quinoa as that was what I had.

Share Contents Used:
Asparagus, 5 spears
2 Radishes


Other Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
1/2 tbs Lemon juice
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
Salt & Pepper





Cook the quinoa per package directions.
Chop the asparagus into 2 inch pieces and split down the middle if necessary.  This is a raw preparation for the asparagus, so you don't want them too thick.
Thinly slice the radishes
Toss the cooked quinoa (while still hot), asparagus, radishes in a bowl along with lemon juice, olive oil and the salt & pepper to taste.

I served this as a side to some fantastic fresh sea scallops that I picked up on the way home from work.  What a treat!

Asparagus and Mushroom Saute

Fresh spring asparagus is one of my favorites, so I kept it simple with my first recipe. A side dish of asparagus and shiitake mushroom caps lightly sauteed in a little olive oil with garlic, scallions and crushed red pepper.

Share contents used:
1/2 lb Asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
4 scallions, chopped

Other ingredients:
6 large shiitake caps, quartered
1 clove garlic, minced
Olive oil
Pinch crushed red pepper
Salt & pepper to taste

Sauté all ingredients together in a large skillet until the asparagus is just cooked, about 5-6 minutes.
Season to taste and serve immediately.