Spring Vegetable Risotto

At least one more run with asparagus, please. It’s been such a good year for it that I’m wondering if the asparagus spears are in cahoots with the rhubarb in its plans for world domination. The important part is that I can still get asparagus in the local farmer’s market, so I can try out my dreamy idea of a Spring Vegetable Risotto.

I don’t make risotto very often, although I feel like I’m getting more proficient at the process of making it. It really doesn’t need a precise recipe if you like to be more free-wheeling in the kitchen. You just need enough broth to make your rice as tender and creamy as you like it, and an appropriate proportion of mix-ins and flavorings.

I started to get more comfortable with making risotto when I made the switch from cooking it in a deep saucepan to cooking it in a skillet. I feel like the risotto cooks more evenly, and, well, I can see it all better when its spread out in a large skillet in front of me. It also seems to cook faster this way, but I can’t say I’ve ever done a minute to minute comparison between saucepan risotto and skillet risotto.

In this version I featured blanched asparagus and peas, along with some finely chopped arugula. My home-grown arugula is at the end of it’s good run in the pot on my back patio, and is getting rather bitter, but I found it a good compliment to the sweet peas and asparagus. I flavored everything with fresh thyme, garlic, shallots, parmesan cheese, and a light, homemade vegetable broth.

It probably goes without saying that you can customize the flavors and seasonings in this recipe, using other seasonal vegetables as they become available, perhaps some blanched sugar snap peas, for example, or lots of flavorful herbs. You can also customize the texture. If you like that little almost crunchy bite of starch in the middle of Arborio rice, you can stop cooking at that point. If you like your rice softer, like I do, you can continue to add broth and keep going. If you would like it to be extra creamy, you can add extra liquid at the very end and don’t let it all get absorbed. Or, you could add extra butter or cream, or more cheese.

I gwrote down exactly how I made this particular seasonal version of risotto, so I give you a recipe rather than guidelines below. I loved the way it turned out, with the mild, creamy rice working as a good base for bright and fresh spring vegetables (although I did use frozen peas), and a soft, slightly creamy texture. The parmesan cheese is wonderful here, as is the bit of fresh thyme, and an occasional peppery bite from the arugula.

Yes, risotto takes a little time to make, but you don’t really have to attend it as meticulously as legend has it. I usually can at least put together a salad between frequent stirrings. And it seems that “frequent” is indeed the operative word when it comes to risotto stirring. It should also be the operative word with regard to making risotto, too!

Spring Vegetable Risotto

I used a homemade vegetable broth, but you could use a store-bought one that you like or chicken broth, which will add a significant chicken flavor. I prefer to use a light-colored broth for appearance, but flavor is, of course, most important.

5 cups vegetable broth

1 cup finely sliced asparagus

½ cup peas, fresh or frozen

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot

1 medium-size clove garlic, minced

½ teaspoon coarse salt, plus more to taste

1 cup risotto rice (I used Arborio)

½ cup dry white wine

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

¼ cup finely chopped arugula

½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1. In a medium-size saucepan, heat the vegetable broth to a full boil. Add the asparagus and peas. Cook until the asparagus is tender but not mushy, about 3-4 minutes. Remove the asparagus and peas and set aside. Keep the broth hot, but not boiling.

2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook until it is translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook about 1 minute more.

3. Add the ½ teaspoon salt, rice, and thyme. Stir to coat the rice with the oil and cook, stirring constantly for about 1 minute. Stir in the wine and cook, stirring frequently, until almost all of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice.

4. Add about ½ cup hot broth. Cook, stirring frequently until the rice has absorbed almost all of the liquid. Continue to add the broth ½ cup at a time and stirring the rice until the liquid is absorbed until the rice is tender, but not yet mushy. You may not need all of the broth to cook the rice. The whole process will take 20-30 minutes.

5. Stir in the cooked asparagus and peas and the arugula. Stir in the parmesan and butter. Taste the risotto for seasoning and add more salt if desired.

Makes 2 large main-dish servings or 4-5 side-dish servings.

Other recipes like this one: Brown and Wild Rice Salad with Asparagus and Peas,  Baked Pasta with Cheese and Spring Vegetables, Quinoa and Spinach Casserole,

Pasta with Onions and Arugula

There are plenty of things to get excited about when spring settles in. Warmer air, longer days, flowers. Mostly what I look forward to, however, are green things. Specifically edible green things. Since arugula is the first of those green things I can grow myself that’s the first thing I get excited about. Well, that and the rhubarb growing by the shed, but today I’m talking about pasta.

This dish is about more than the arugula, though. Most of the flavor and substance of this pasta sauce (for lack of a better word for it) comes from sweet and aromatic caramelized onions and leeks. Taking the time to let a pan of onions brown, or in the case of leeks, practically melt down to a creamy consistency, takes this dish a bit beyond the usual toss-some-fresh-stuff-together-with-noodles dish. And it’s worth that time. I’m a sucker for caramelized onions anyway, and in this dish their flavor and creamy texture, enhanced by, well, cream, was even more delightful than I expected.

The arugula, which is pretty sharply bitter and a little spicy, was a delicious counter-point to the creamy onions. When this dish was ready to serve it didn’t look like it had enough arugula in it. I thought I was going to have to try it again with a double dose, but a few bites revealed that such was not the case. The arugula can carry itself through a dish like this even if the rest of the ingredients aren’t covered with it. Of course, if you’re not a fan of arugula’s strong flavor, you’re not going to be able to hide it in this dish. You could probably replace it with spinach or chard and still get something pretty tasty.

The original recipe for this dish included some additional flavors, such as currants, and some additional gooiness in the form of fresh mozzarella. I left out the currants because they didn’t suit my taste and I left out the mozzarella because my most recent attempt to make some, something I’ve done several times before, went disastrously wrong. But I don’t know where the mozzarella would have fit in this dish. The melty leeks and bit of cream made it rich and luscious enough without it. Pasta with Caramelized Onions and Arugula looks deceptively simple in a bowl, but the deep flavors of the caramelized onions, the creamy texture of the resulting sauce, and the contrast from the peppery arugula are complex and satisfying.

Pasta with Caramelized Onions and Arugula

Based on a recipe in Cooking Light magazine

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups thinly sliced leeks, white and light green parts (well-washed)

2 cups thinly sliced yellow onion

¾ teaspoon coarse salt, divided

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

1 cup chicken broth (I used reduced sodium), divided

8 ounces uncooked linguine

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
¼ cup heavy cream
2 cups arugula, coarsely chopped if the leaves are large
about 1/8 teaspoon (several grinds from a pepper mill) black pepper

1. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet that has a lid. Add the leeks, onions and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently until the onions begin to brown, about 5-8 minutes.

2. Add the garlic and cook about 1 minute more. Add ½ cup chicken broth. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Cook 20-30 minutes or until the leeks and onions are very soft and golden brown, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat if it seems that the onions are getting too dark before they soften.

3. Meanwhile, cook the linguine in boiling salted water until just a bit underdone. (The pasta will cook a little more with the sauce later.)

4. Uncover the onion mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes more, or until almost all of the liquid has evaporated.  Stir in the red wine vinegar, heavy cream and remaining salt. Reduce the heat to low and add the cooked linguine, arugula and pepper. Toss to coat the pasta. Keep cooking and stirring until the arugula has wilted.

Makes about 4 servings.

Other recipes like this one: Spaetzle with Cabbage, Baconand Onions; Stewed Beans with Bacon and Caramelized Onions

One year ago: Ham and Onion Tart with Rye Crust

White Beans and Arugula

This recipe was a salad recipe. And it had roasted red bell peppers in it, but I thought sun-dried tomatoes would be nice. And it called for arugula, but I couldn’t get any arugula (and the arugula I planted hasn’t grown enough yet). And I got some spinach and chard to try instead. And I thought maybe it would be interesting as a warm dish with cooked greens. But then I thought it would be better as a salad after all. And then I found some beautiful baby arugula. And then it got cold and rainy and windy and nasty outside and I thought it would be best to make this a warmer, cozier dish.

That’s pretty typical of the way things go in my kitchen (and in my head), the way a recipe goes from an original source through the gauntlet of my mind and the markets I frequent and the weather. In the end, this was a really nice, rather simple vegetarian dish of beans with wilted arugula and thick strips of tangy-sweet sun-dried tomatoes. Sometimes dishes based on beans or grains or both can be a little bland, really more suited to accompany a savory, flavorful main dish, but I firmly believe that the little bit of vinaigrette that was meant to dress this as a salad made a big difference in boosting the flavor of this one. Of course the peppery, bitter arugula and the tomatoes, plus the onions and garlic were no slouches in the flavor department, either.

Of course, when it gets warm again, I’m convinced I will be enjoying this as a salad. I just won’t wilt the arugula, or whatever greens I can get a hold of. I could also try the roasted peppers of the original recipe, or use fresh tomatoes. Really, there’s a lot that could be added to this and a lot of ways to go with the flavors: artichokes, fresh herbs, feta or Parmesan cheese. Dishes like this represent a method that can be applied in whatever direction the cook desires. Hey, wait, this dish represents two methods, a warm bean dish with wilted greens and cold bean salad with fresh greens. And then…well, enough of my stream of consciousness. You’ve got things to do.

White Beans with Arugula and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Based on a recipe (for a salad) in Cooking Light magazine

¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
½ teaspoon coarse salt, divided
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup finely-chopped red onion
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
4 cups arugula, chopped if the leaves are large
1 ½ cups (about a 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed) cooked Navy beans (or other white beans)

1. Place the sun-dried tomatoes in a small, heatproof bowl. Pour at least ½ cup boiling water over them to completely cover. Let stand at least 15 minutes to soften the tomatoes. (If you use oil-packed tomatoes, you can skip this step, but you will need about ½ cup water later.) Remove the tomatoes and reserve the water. Chop the softened tomatoes into thin strips and set aside.

2. In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper. Whisk to combine. Set aside.

3. Pour the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet. Heat over medium heat until the oil is shimmery and flows easily when the pan is tilted. Add the onion and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Saute 3-4 minutes, or until the onion is softened and begins to brown. Add the garlic and cook about 1 minute more.

4. Add the arugula and about ¼ cup of the tomato soaking water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the arugula is well wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the beans, sun-dried tomatoes, and about ¼ cup more of the tomato water. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.

5. Remove from the heat. Pour the oil and vinegar dressing mixture over the beans and stir to coat. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 2 main dish or 4 smaller side dish servings.

Other recipes like this one: Sloppy Beans and Tomatoes, Stewed Beans with Bacon and Caramelized Onions, White Beans with Sage and Garlic, White Bean Stew with Tomatoes and Rosemary

One year ago: Vanilla Ice Cream

Wheat Berries and Bacon

All of the big late spring produce offerings will come tumbling in any minute. Before all that happens, however, my spring dishes may be cobbled together from season-less and early seasonal ingredients as well as a cheat or two. For example, I recently made a sort of pilaf with some cooked wheat berries I found in the freezer, a handful of arugula that I grew in a container on the porch, and a locally-grown hot-house tomato. All this trio needed was a serendipitous stumble onto a recipe that only needed a little tweaking to fit in. Well, that and some bacon.

The resulting dish is a sort of primitive, ultra-deconstruction of the BLT sandwich. The bacon flavor permeates every bite and the tomatoes and arugula (in place of lettuce) follow along nicely. The wheat berries make something as complicated as a couple slices of bread utterly unnecessary. Of course, they also make it pretty much impossible to eat with one’s hands.

That’s a small sacrifice for something this delicious. And if you don’t want to take the journey with me, you don’t have to see this as a deconstructed BLT. It doesn’t’ take much longer to make than a sandwich, however, assuming you’ve cooked the wheat berries ahead of time. (There’s more on cooking wheat berries in this post.)

I was really happy with the flavors and textures of this dish. The starchy chewiness of the wheat berries and the savory smokiness of the bacon are the dominant themes, but they’re nicely balanced by the acidity of the tomatoes and vinegar. I’d love to make it again right away, but I won’t. It’s time to move on. On to salad greens and asparagus and radishes and big bundles of fresh herbs. Besides, I gave my arugula a pretty drastic haircut and will have to wait for it to grow back anyway.

Wheat Berries with Bacon, Arugula and Tomato
Inspired by a recipe in Bon Appetit, September 2009

You can make this dish vegan by omitting the bacon and cooking the onions in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil or whatever oil you prefer.

4 strips thick-cut bacon
½ cup finely chopped onion
½ teaspoon coarse salt
1 ½ cup cooked wheat berries
1 medium tomato, cored and chopped
1 cup arugula leaves, chopped or torn
2 tablespoons white wine or cider vinegar
1/8 teaspoon black pepper (a few grinds from a pepper mill)

1. Cook the bacon in a medium-size skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove the bacon and drain on a paper towel. Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of the rendered bacon fat.

2. Add the onion and salt to the bacon fat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and browned, about 5-7 minutes.

3. Add the wheat berries. Cook and stir about 1 minute. Add the tomato and arugula. Cook about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the vinegar and black pepper. Cook 3-4 minutes more, stirring occasionally. The tomatoes and arugula should be well-wilted.

4. Crumble or chop the bacon. Sprinkle on top of the finished dish.

Makes 2 main-dish or about 4 side-dish servings.

Another recipe like this one: Wheat Berry Salad with Sugar Snap Peas and Lemon Vinaigrette

One year ago: Rhubarb Compote with Brown Sugar and Vanilla Bean

Two years ago: Chickpea and Olive Salad with Greek Flavors

Arugula Pesto

One of my favorite new green things of spring is arugula. (You may see it under other names, including rocket, which is just cool.) Its long, narrow, curvy leaves can range from peppery to downright bitter. It makes a great salad, especially when mixed with other tender lettuces that tame its strength a little. Arugula also grows easily from seed, even in containers, which means I can grow some on my porch. It also seems to prefer the cooler weather (just like me) so, if you’re on the ball with your spring planting, it can be one of the first things in the garden that’s ready to eat.


A couple years ago, I tried a recipe for a pesto sauce made with arugula and kalamata olives. It was delicious. The nutty, peppery bitterness of the arugula was well balanced by the briny olives. I’d been thinking about that recipe ever since. Recently, when I had a little arugula I had grown myself, plus a nice bunch that had been grown locally, I found out why I hadn’t made arugula pesto a second time. I had lost the recipe.

Since I have a pretty firm grasp of the theory of pesto (I make basil pesto every summer), and I remembered the two most important ingredients (fresh arugula and kalamata olives), I was able to put together something that was probably pretty close to the original. I included some toasted almonds to give the sauce body. Walnuts would probably be just as good, if not even better. I also added some flat leaf parsley to tame the arugula a bit, and whirled everything together in the food processor with some decent extra virgin olive oil. The result was pretty close to the original recipe or at least close to what I can remember, which is close enough.

I not only served this sauce with pasta, but I also stirred some into a pan of white beans simmered with garlic (about 1/3 cup in 3 cups of beans). I topped both dishes with crumbled feta cheese, which tasted like it was born to be there. This pesto probably could be spread on garlic bread or sandwiches, or maybe even whisked into a vinaigrette served over milder salad greens or spring vegetables. Or how about potatoes? Well, the pesto will last for a few days in the refrigerator (I haven’t tried freezing it, but that might work, too), so I can try them all. Then, if I can get my hands on some more arugula, I can try some more! And since the recipe is now recorded here, I should never lose it again!

Arugula Pesto with Kalamata Olives

1/3 cup chopped almonds
2 cups (loosely packed) arugula leaves, any tough stems trimmed
1 cup (loosely packed) parsley leaves and tender stems
¼ cup pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
¾ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1. Place the almonds in a small skillet over medium heat. Heat, stirring often, until just beginning to brown. Be very careful not to burn them. Remove from the heat and cool completely.

2. Place the cooled almonds in a food processor and pulse until coarsely but evenly ground.

3. Add the arugula, parsley, olives, salt and pepper to the food processor. Process until everything is well ground into a coarse paste.


4. With the processor running, slowly add the olive oil and process until completely smooth. Your processor should have a feed tube or opening at the top to allow you to do this. (Add a little more olive oil if the pesto is too thick.)

Makes about 1 ½ cups

To serve, toss with hot pasta, thinning with a little pasta-cooking water if desired. You can also stir it into cooked beans, spread it on breads or add it to dressings.

Other recipes like this one: Basic Basil Pesto