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risotto with fresh corn and peas

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When the season finally arrives in the spring -- fresh peas and fresh corn -- here is a risotto dish that uses this enduring combination in a tasty delight. It is an ideal spring risotto, when these first fresh ingredients are available.

Ingredients:

two cups of Arborio rice (or the two other approved varieties)
five cups of chicken stock
one half large yellow onion
four tablespoons of olive oil
one-half cup dry white wine (if halving recipe, use one-third cup of wine)
two cups fresh corn kernels, about two ears
one and one-half cups of fresh peas
one-half cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
one tablespoon of butter, unsalted
salt and pepper
some shredded fresh basil leaves

to cook: (a more detailed and elaborate description of the risotto cooking technique can be found at how to cook risotto).

Bring the stock to a slow simmer in a pan next to the risotto pan. In a thick-bottomed pan (the risotto pan), over medium-high heat: add the olive oil. Add the onion.. Cook until slightly soft but not brown. Add the rice and stir until each grain is coated with the oil. Add the white wine. Cook and stir until it is absorbed by the rice, about two minutes. Add salt. Now add the hot stock, ladle by ladle, only adding another ladle when the previous ladle of liquid has been absorbed, stirring almost all of the time.

After wine is added and absorbed, add one ladle of stock, until absorbed, then add the corn and continue to add stock. At about ten minutes, add the fresh peas. (is using frozen wait until the risotto is almost perfect al dente and then sd -- just before the last ladle or two.

Take off the heat. Stir in the parmesan, and the butter. Taste for salt and pepper. Stir again. We let it sit, covered, for a minute or two. Serve.

>>stock note: rather than all chicken stock, make four cups of corn stock, adding several corn cobs, a sprig of parsley and a small chopped onion to six cups of water. Boil for about twenty minutes. Strain out the vegetables for about four cups of corn broth.