portobello risotto

i haven't yet figured out this summer's weather. it started out cold and rainy for a few weeks. then we had a week or so of heat and humidity, so much so that we turned on the air conditioning already. and now we're back to cold, overcast, and threat of rain every day for the next week.

so while we should be grilling whatever meat we can get our hands on with a side of cold salads and refreshing beat-the-heat drinks, we're devouring risotto and soup and hot roast chicken, while our grill anxiously awaits it's first burger of the season.

the good news: crummy weather doesn't stop the influx of fresh produce at the market. i picked up these portobellos and onions at the public market last weekend. don't care for mushrooms so much?? toss in whatever spring vegetables you like. that's the beauty of risotto - you can add whatever vegetables you want and it's pretty hard to screw it up.

portobello risotto
45 minutes, two main course servings

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
few tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 portobello caps, cleaned, gills removed, cut in half and thinly sliced
1 cup arborio rice
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup parmesan cheese

1. bring the stock to a simmer in a saucepan and keep hot.
2. in a large saute pan or dutch oven, heat the butter and oil over low heat. saute the onions for a few minutes, until almost translucent. add the mushrooms and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
3. add the arborio rice and cook, stirring frequently, until the rice is toasted, about three minutes.
4. add about one cup of the hot stock to the rice and mix to coat. cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has been absorbed. continue adding about a cup of stock and cooking the rice until all of the stock has been added.
5. mix in the parmesan cheese, season with salt and pepper and serve.