food & dining
Showcasing Spring Produce
S Keri White
pring has sprung, and markets
are bursting with local,
seasonal produce. This means
fresh asparagus, peas, herbs, ramps,
fiddleheads, baby greens and glori-
ously juicy berries.

In the last week, I celebrated spring’s
bounty with both sweet and savory,
once at breakfast and once at dinner
in delicious presentations.

The savory dinner option was an
offering from my neighbor “I,” who has
bestowed her culinary gifts upon me
in the past. I am truly fortunate to live
next to a culinary-obsessed individual
who happily shares her creations with
me when she has a surplus. Her risotto
showcased asparagus, peas and basil
to great advantage.

The sweet breakfast option came via my
daughter, who returned from a morning
power walk craving pancakes. But ever
healthy and fitness oriented, she was not
going to dive into the carb bomb offered
by traditional pancakes. No, instead she
concocted a wholesome blend of oats,
banana, peanut butter and various seeds
to create the flapjacks and topped them
with fresh berries. I was impressed by how
tasty, fluffy and flavorful they were and
planned to file them in my “breakfast for a
crowd” stack of recipes.

Neighborly Risotto | Dairy
Photos by Keri White
Serves 4
Note: My neighbor recommends
blanching the asparagus and cooking
the peas then adding them to the
risotto near the end of the cooking
process; this ensures that the vegeta-
bles are cooked to perfection and not
mushy. 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh thyme,
chopped, or ½ teaspoon dried
1 cup arborio rice
½ cup dry white wine
3 cups vegetable broth
8 ounces asparagus, trimmed,
chopped into 1-inch pieces and
steamed for 2 minutes
1 cup frozen peas, cooked
2 cups spinach (chopped if large
leaves) ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Handful of fresh basil leaves,
coarsely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
In a small saucepan, heat the broth
and wine to a simmer.

In a large saucepan, heat the oil
with the onions and thyme. Sauté over
medium until fragrant. Add the rice and
stir until it’s coated. Add one cup of
simmering broth and stir constantly until
it is absorbed. Add another cup and stir
until it’s absorbed. Add ½ cup, add the
spinach and continue stirring and adding
hot broth in ½ cup increments until all
but ½ cup of broth is used.

Add the asparagus and peas and the
final bit of broth. Stir until absorbed.

Taste to ensure the rice is cooked; it
should be cooked through, soft but not
mushy, with a teeny bit of firmness at
the very center — think al dente pasta.

If it is not cooked to your liking, add
another ¼ cup of hot broth or water
and stir until absorbed.

Remove it from the heat, add the
lemon zest, juice, Parmesan cheese
and salt and pepper to taste, then add
the basil and stir. Serve immediately.

In a blender, mix the
oats, cinnamon and seeds.

Blend until the ingredients
are finely ground into a
coarse, flour-like texture.

Add the bananas, eggs,
soy milk and vanilla; blend
again until the texture is
consistent. Heat a large skillet over
medium/medium-low and
add the oil.

When the oil is heated,
ladle ½ cup portions of
batter into the pan. When
bubbles appear on top
of the pancakes, flip (this
takes 3-4 minutes). Cook
the other side for another few minutes
and, when done, remove it from the
pan. Repeat the process with the remain-
ing batter and serve the pancakes
Healthy oat-banana pancakes
with fresh berries and maple syrup, if
desired. Keri White is a Philadelphia-based
freelance food writer.

Healthy Oat-Banana Pancakes
| Pareve
Serves 2-3
My daughter used soy milk, but any
non-dairy milk can be substituted.

1½ cups rolled oats
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons chia seeds
2 tablespoons flaxseeds
2 very ripe bananas
2 eggs
½ cup soy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Oil for cooking
2 cups fresh berries
Maple syrup, honey or agave, if desired
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