Peas In A Pod....Risotto

This is the very first time in my entire life that I have purchased fresh peas. In fact I am not a big fan of peas in general.  I pick them out of chicken pie, pass by as quickly as I can when I see them at the grocery store and have never ever cooked them for my family.  I don't even know if my kids like them.  So why did I feel compelled to buy them today at the farm.   I have no idea other than I loved the wicker basket they were being displayed in.. 

The first ten minutes of shelling my peas was kind of fun.  I thought, hmmm this is really relaxing, sitting on the deck with the sun shinning brightly,  my mocha ice coffee ready to quench my thirst and trusty Bella sleeping peacefully  at my feet.  When all of a sudden OUCH!!!  The you've got to be kidding me, this is taking way too long BUG  bit me big time.  Soon my relaxing afternoon on the deck just became a necessary boring chore,  but I dug in with both hands, killed the bug and finished the job.   Finding a recipe to highlight my tedious afternoon chore was a lot more enjoyable.
The risotto I made was inspired by Dom at Belleau Kitchen.  He made his version last week and it looked delicious. My version is a little different than Dom's.  Here's the recipe.

  This is just your basic risotto recipe.

• 1 tablespoon butter 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped 
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• 1 cup dry white wine ( I used Pinot Grigio)
• 5 cups chicken broth 
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• 2 1/2 cups fresh shelled peas, blanched for 2 minutes
• 1/4 cup pancetta, cooked until crisp

Preparation

1.  Fry up the pancetta  over medium heat until crisp.  Remove from pan and set aside.  Heat the butter and oil together in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat in the oil and butter. Pour in the wine, then stir until all the liquid is absorbed. Reduce heat to low. Add 1 cup of the broth and cook until absorbed, stirring occasionally. Add the remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, waiting until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next. Continue this process until the rice is cooked al dente, about 40 minutes. Stir in the pancetta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.  Fold in the 2 cups of the peas. Garnish with chopped flat leaf Italian parsley. Serve immediately.

Fresh shelled peas have opened up my narrow taste buds to a brand new vegetable taste sensation.   The pea risotto was creamy and the tender peas, well they were sweet and delicious. Well worth the effort.     


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