Vegetarian Spring Asparagus Risotto

Spring has always contained the "A" vegetables: asparagus is my favorite. It is tough to improve on the purity of steamed or roasted asparagus paired with lemon butter or a good hollandaise. However, this vegetarian risotto recipe had become a family standard because my sister is a vegetarian. Include it in your Easter celebration either as a side dish or as a stand alone meal: simply add salad and you're set.

The recipe this is based on first appeared in The Tra Vigne Cookbook - Seasons on the California Wine Country by Michael Chiarello. I have revised it over the years into the following recipe.

About 4 - 5 cups of vegetable stock

1 - 1 ½ bunches of asparagus (depending on your enthusiasm for asparagus)

Enough olive oil to coat the pan : up to ¼ cup

2 cups sliced shitake or oyster mushrooms

Sea salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

1 small onion, chopped finely

3-4 cloves garlic, chopped or put through a press

1 cup Arborio rice

½ cup dry white wine, (I use Bordeaux)

¼ cup coarsely grated Asiago cheese

½ cup coarsely grated Romano cheese

¼ - ½ cup chopped flat leaf parsley

Pour the stock in a saucepan/ Snap off the tough ends of the asparagus, and add to stock to simmer. Slice the spears on the diagonal into ½ inch thick pieces. Set aside.

Heat olive oil in another saucepan (I recommend non-stick because it lets you become distracted without disastrous results) Add onions and rice. Stirring continuously cook until rice and onions are translucent but not brown. Add garlic and cook very briefly.

Add wine and cook, stirring, until alcohol is burned off. (I feel this in my nose - it smells good vs. hitting my nose sharply at the bridge).

Adjust the heat so the rice cooks at a slow simmer and begin to add the stock one ladle at a time - about ½ cup. Cook until nearly dry before adding another ladle. Continue this process.

After about 15 minutes, taste the rice. If it is more tender than tough, add the mushrooms and asparagus. Continue cooking this mixture while adding the stock until the rice is cooked but still has a touch of tooth, about 5 more minutes. Add parsley and cheeses and cook very briefly until cheese melts.

Serve in rimmed soups and pass additional cheese for garnish if desired.