Fiddlehead Mushroom Pea Risotto

Fiddlehead Mushroom Pea Risotto, a photo by kel h on Flickr.

we got Fiddleheads in the farmshare today, which are a springtime treat in new england and the maritimes. They are the unopen fronds of a fern, and taste a bit like asparagus. Apparently they are quite popular in quiche (says my boyfriend from Maine). I consulted my go-to cookbook for all things farmshare, Vegetable Love, and found this risotto recipe.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter
1 shallot minced
1 onion minced
1 pt mushrooms roughly chopped (recipe called for chanterelle, but i used oyster)
3/4 c chopped fresh tarragon
1/4 c olive oil
2 cups arborio rice
1 cup white wine
5-6 cups veggie stock
1 1/2 cup frozen peas
2 cups trimmed fiddleheads (could sub chopped asparagus)
1 cup grated swiss cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

sautee the shallots and onion in melted butter. Add mushrooms and cook for about 5 min. Add tarragon for 8 min. add oil and rice and cook at medium until rice absorbs the oil

add the wine and stir until evaporated

add broth a cup at a time, stirring until absorbed before adding the next cup. After four cups add the peas and fiddleheads. Add more stock as needed until rice is at desired consistency. Stir in grated cheese gradually. Salt and pepper to taste

Green Pea Pesto

Green Pea Pesto
Originally uploaded by kel h

you know how sometimes you buy something and its a let down, and sometimes when you buy something you wonder how you ever got along without it?

Yeah, my new food processor/blender is the second kind. I LOVE it! I can't stop making things with it. Today I made green pea pesto from the show Giada at Home

Ingredients
Pesto:
1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas, defrosted
2 cloves garlic smashed
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
small handful parsley and three or four basil leaves
1/3 cup olive oil

Put the cheese, peas, garlic, and herbs in a food processor until it forms a paste. Add seasoning and then gradually pour in the olive oil while processor is running.

Serve over pasta or on toast.