Spring Veggies & Grains

The first vegetables of spring pair beautifully with grains in these recipes from Tessa Kiros’ gorgeous love song to Venice and its rare tastes: Venezia: Food & Dreams.

Castraure in padella (Tiny whole artichokes)

Castraure are beauties—the small, bitter, first artichokes that bud on the island of Sant’ Erasmus (a nice vaporetto ride from the fondamenta Nuova). They are considered a prize and are much appreciated—so small and perfect that it is not necessary to take out a choke. Make as many as will fit in a large nonstick skillet (I have said about 25 here, but yours may be of a different size). If you don’t have castraure, use ordinary artichokes, quartered. Or baby artichokes. If you have some vegetable broth, then definitely use that instead of the water here.

About 25 castraure or baby artichokes
Juice of half a lemon
2 garlic cloves, chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Remove the outer leaves of the castraure and cut off all but 3/4 inch of the stems. Cut off the outer, bitter, dark green bit. Cut off the tops, about a third of the way down. As you prepare them, drop the castraure into a bowl of water with the lemon juice added to prevent their discoloring.

Heat the garlic and olive oil in a nonstick skillet and add the drained castraure in a single layer. Cook until you can smell the garlic. Add the parsley, mix well, and season with salt and a grind of black pepper. Add about 1/2 cup of water, cover the pan, and simmer over a low heat for about 10 minutes.

Remove the lid, turn up the heat a touch, and simmer for another few minutes until the water has all gone and just the oil is left in a bit of sauce at the bottom. Serve warm or at room temperature, with the remaining oil poured over, and a squeeze of lemon and black pepper if you like.

Serves 5 to 6

TD&N Nutrient Analysis (based on 5 servings): Calories: 116; Total Fat: 11 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g; Monounsaturated Fat: 8 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 23 mg; Carbohydrates: 4 g; Fiber: 2 g; Protein: 1 g

Risotto di verdure (Vegetable risotto)

The winning stroke here is the fried artichokes on top, as suggested by my friend Sergia. The combination of the artichokes and fresh mint to pull through the risotto as you are eating is truly great. When you are making your vegetable broth, be sure to add the trimmings from the asparagus to give a depth of flavor.

8 ounces (about 12) asparagus spears
5 cups hot vegetable broth
2 fresh artichokes
Juice of half a lemon
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 small white onion, chopped
2 zucchinis, sliced
1 cup fresh, or frozen, peas
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
2 tablespoons butter
3 to 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
All-purpose flour, for coating
Light olive oil
Handful of mint sprigs

Trim the asparagus and slice on the diagonal, leaving the tips whole. Add the trimmings to your vegetable broth as it simmers.

To prepare your artichokes, trim away the outer leaves and cut a slice off the top. Halve the artichoke and remove the hairy choke if it has one, then cut each half into fine slices 1/8 inch thick. (Keep them covered with cold water and a little lemon juice to prevent their turning black.)

Heat the olive oil in a wide pot and sauté the onion until well softened. Add the asparagus, zucchini, and peas and sauté on high heat for a minute to just take in the flavors. Add the rice, turning it through so that it is well coated with oil. Season with salt and pepper, then add the wine, and allow it to bubble away. Add 2 cups of hot broth, lower the heat, and simmer for about 10 minutes, until much of the broth has been absorbed. Add another cup of hot broth, stirring gently and adding another cup of broth when necessary as it is absorbed, for about 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender and creamy. Don’t let the risotto get so dry that you have to keep stirring.

Remove from the heat, then mantecare* by adding the butter, Parmesan, and parsley and stirring gently. Add salt to taste if needed.

Just before your risotto is ready, drain the artichokes, pat dry with paper towels, and pat lightly in flour on both sides. Use a nonstick skillet that will fit the artichokes in one layer if possible. Just cover the bottom with oil and heat up. Add the artichokes and fry until golden and crisp on both sides. Transfer onto a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Serve the risotto with a heap of hot, fried artichokes on top, plus fresh mint, extra Parmesan, and black pepper.

Serves 4

Mantecare: cook until creamy

TD&N Nutrient Analysis: Calories: 410; Total Fat: 9 g; Saturated Fat: 4 g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 0 g; Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g; Cholesterol: 19 mg; Sodium: 800 mg; Carbohydrates: 67 g; Fiber: 12 g; Protein: 15 g

Note: Analysis assumes steaming the artichokes.

TD&N Tip: As delicious as they might be, if you’re watching your weight or your intake of saturated fat, steam the artichokes instead of frying. You’ll lose the delightful crunch, but trust us, the dish will still be delicious. Also, using low-sodium vegetable broth saves 400 milligrams of sodium.

Recipes reprinted with permission from Venezia: Food & Dreams by Tessa Kiros, www.andrewsmcmeel.com