Risotto Primavera Recipe

This risotto my mother makes is better than anything in a restaurant. Be sure to use Arborio rice - it is the Italian short-grained rice that makes perfect risotto.

Ingredients:
12 thin, very green fresh asparagus
1 1/2 C shelled fresh peas
6-8 ripe plum tomatoes
6 tender white stalks of celery
1 T chopped parsley, flat Italian
6 fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
2 1/2 sticks butter
1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
3 C rice, short-grained Arborio
2 T dry white wine
5-6 cups hot chicken consomme or 3 131/4 oz. cans of chicken consomme
Dash of grated nutmeg; freshly ground pepper
3/4 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Peel asparagus and cut into 1-inch pieces. Shell peas. Cut plum tomatoes into 4 wedges easch, then cut wedges in half. Scrape celery, cut into 2 inch pieces, then cut pieces into thin julienne strips. Chop parsley and basil leaves.

Bring a saucepan of water to boil and parboil asparagus for 2 minutes, celery sticks for 2 minutes and peas for 4 minutes. Run cold water over vegetables and drain lightly.

Add butter to a large skillet, add chopped parsley and basil. Add onion and saute.
Add te consomme. Add the rice. This will take 25 minutes for the liquid to absorb.

When the rice is cooked, the consistency should be creamy but not overly moist. Sprinkle with nutmeg and pepper. Add half the grated cheese to rice and stir gently to blend.

Turn the rice into a large bowl. Add the sauteed vegetables and toss gently. Sesrve with remaining grated cheese and additional freshly grated pepper, if desired.