Belated Mother's Day Post

Really, I'd post more often if I could get to the computer.  The 8 year old has discovered Minecraft.

Hope everyone out there had a happy Mother's Day!  I had a chance to make the dinner I'd planned to make 3 days prior but was just too tired:  nettle risotto and steak.  What I found out is that nettles, when picked and stuck in the fridge, dry out a little.  However, they rehydrate nicely when you blanch them.  Also, you can touch them in their dried-out state.  I'd picked them last Wednesday, but with one thing after another, they kept getting ignored.....  This risotto included chopped up shitake mushrooms.  I'm trying to find the best mushroom to go with the nettles, so far I think oyster mushrooms are best.  So this round was:

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup chopped shitake mushrooms

2 T. butter

1 c. arborio rice

4 cups stock

1/2 cup blanched, chopped nettles

butter

parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

The garlic, mushrooms and rice were lightly sautéed and then I started adding the stock, 1 cup at a time: 2 cups chicken stock and 2 cups vegetable stock, stirring frequently.  At the third cup of stock I added the nettles, all chopped up.  Once all the stock was absorbed, I added another tablespoon of butter and about 1/3 cup parmesan cheese.  All the recipes say to serve the risotto right away, but I find that if I leave it on the stove, off the heat, but covered, it gets even creamier so it seems better to wait a little.  It also solves the problem of making sure everything is ready at the same time.