Wholemeal Risotto With Asparagus and Nettles

Ingredients

• 4/5 cup brown rice
• 2 cups white asparagus
• 1/3 cup nettle
• 1 shallot
• 1/2 spring onion
• 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• vegetable broth to taste
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Soak the rice overnight.
2. Wash the asparagus well, dry them and remove the final woody part.With the potato peeler, remove the outer part up to about halfway.Cut the asparagus into round slices, keeping some tips in half, which you will divide in half lengthwise.
3. Slice the spring onion thinly, using all the green part and part of the white part.Let it wilt in the olive oil, then add the asparagus, salt lightly and saut until tender but not unmade.Reduce the asparagus in cream (except the tips remained whole) with an immersion blender.Wash the nettles and without drying them let them dry in a pan with a tablespoon of olive oil and cover with a lid.Turn off after a few minutes when they are lightly dried, then chop them coarsely
4. Chop the shallot and let it dry in two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.Add the rice and toast it.Cook like a risotto adding the hot vegetable stock.After 10 minutes add the cream of asparagus, cooked at the end adding the nettles five minutes before the end.Remove from the heat and stir in a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and serve with freshly ground pepper and whole asparagus tips.