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Bellwether Farm Camp, Retreat, and Education Center offers a model of sustainable living that promotes physical and spiritual wellness, fidelity to the environment, and social justice.
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Nestled into the curves of the Vermillion River, Bellwether Farm is a camp, retreat, and education center dedicated to exposing the wider community to the creation that sustains all of life. As a working farm, its life focuses on four primary activities.
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Risotto with Spring Peas and Morel Mushrooms
Finding the first mushrooms of the season seems to be the last note in spring’s arrival song. When conditions are right, and your eyes are in tune, mushrooms appear across the landscape, dotting hillsides and poking out of the shady barrier between field and forest. If one has knowledge of which fungi are flavorful and full of nutrients and which are poisonous, then the forest can provide an endless bounty of delicious and nutritious delicacies.
While there are many mushrooms worth eating, there is one that captivates mushroom hunters across the region. Morels (Morchella esculenta) have long been the holy grail of midwestern mushrooms; they require specific conditions and, even then, can be unpredictable. If you are lucky enough to find some in the wild, you will be treated to a rich, buttery, nutty morsel of mushroom magic. While mushrooms go well in any dish, if you really want to showcase their rich and creamy nature, a risotto is one of the best choices.
Ingredients
| 1 1/4 cups | fresh peas, cooked and cooled (frozen peas, defrosted, will work too) |
| 1/4 cup | parsley leaves |
| 1 tablespoon | olive oil |
| 1 1/2 tablespoons | minced shallos |
| A pinch | crushed red chili flakes |
| 1 cup | Arborio rice |
| 2 1/2 cups | room temperature light-bodied Italian white wine, a nice Pinot Grigio works |
| 5 cups | chicken stock, brought to a simmer |
| 2 tablespoons | salted butter |
| 1 1/2 cups | morels, spring chanterelles, or other fresh wild mushrooms, cleaned |
| 1 cup | grated aged Reggiano Parmesan, plus more to pass at the table |
| To taste | Salt and freshly ground pepper |
Instructions
| 1. |
Preheat chicken stock. |
| 2. | Puree 1 cup of the peas with the parsley in a food processor. Pass through a sieve and set the liquid aside. |
| 3. | Place the oil in a very large sauté pan with straight sides over medium heat. |
| 4. | Sauté the shallots until translucent. Add the chilies to your taste. (I don’t serve this spicy at all, but a teeny pinch makes the sweetness of the peas really pop.) |
| 5. | Stir in the rice and slowly cook for a few minutes to coat the grains and warm them thoroughly, careful not to toast them. |
| 6. | Stir in 1 cup of white wine, letting it evaporate as it cooks and is absorbed evenly into the rice. Lower the heat so that you see the wine and rice simmering, but not boiling. |
| 7. | When almost all the liquid has evaporated, add 1 ½ cups of hot chicken stock. Stir well and make sure you are lightly simmering, stirring every 90 seconds or so. When liquid is again almost evaporated, add 1 ½ more cups of hot stock. Mix well at a light simmer, stirring every 60 seconds or so. |
| 8. | In a sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon of butter until foaming and, when very hot, add the mushrooms, sautéing until just cooked through. Set aside and keep warm. Season with salt. |
| 9. | Taste the rice after the last batch of liquid has mostly evaporated. You don’t want any crunch, but you don’t want mushy rice. Keep adding half a cup of stock at a time, stirring until the rice is barely tender. |
| 10. | Immediately stir in one more half cup of stock, the peas, pea puree, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper to taste. Stir again, pull from heat, and add the cup of grated cheese and remaining butter, stirring to combine. |
| 11. | Taste for seasoning, and remember, risotto shouldn’t be dense. You should see its creaminess and the sauce should spread across a plate, not in a runny way, but the way hot lava creeps across the land. If you need to stir in more stock, go ahead, just don’t make soupy rice. |
| 12. | Divide on warm plates with the mushrooms scattered on top. Pass the additional grated cheese at the table and serve with a crisp salad. |
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Bellwether Farm is a model of green technology featuring passive buildings, renewable energy, and more. It is a vehicle through which we can teach the wider community about fidelity to the environment, nutrition, physical and spiritual wellness, local food sourcing, food justice, and sustainable living.
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Volunteer around Bellwether Farm. Opportunities are posted as they become available.