Oh my. I was starting dinner last night when one of our darlings dropped by. Miss DeVore was on her way and of course there was a ton of food. Problem? We were all so excited to visit with each other that the only photos taken last night were of food in the works – not the finished product.

Crab risotto with peas and mushrooms along with an apple and blueberry crisp. Yummy, gooey Autumnal goodness.

Crab Risotto with Mushrooms and Peas

• 6 cups seafood stock
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 pound white mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2 shallots, diced
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• sea salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped chives
• 1 10 oz package of frozen peas
• 1 8 oz container of crabmeat, picked over to remove shells
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. In a saucepan, warm the stock over low heat.
2. Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the mushrooms, and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Remove mushrooms and their liquid, and set aside.
3. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to skillet, and stir in the shallots. Cook 1 minute. Add rice, stirring to coat with oil, about 2 minutes. When the rice has taken on a pale, golden color, pour in wine, stirring constantly until the wine is fully absorbed. Add 1/2 cup stock to the rice, and stir until the broth is absorbed. Continue adding stock 1/2 cup at a time, stirring continuously, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente, about 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Remove from heat, and stir in mushrooms with their liquid, butter, chives, crabmeat, peas and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Risotto is easy, but time consuming. Hmmm, between this and the beef bourguignon, I’m sensing a trend here. Plan to make it on a night when you have plenty of time.

Next, dessert. I love a fruit crisp. It is my favorite type of dessert. I can remember eating it in the cafeteria at school. Even that version delighted me. The blueberries and the apples were from the mountain trip this past weekend, so you know they were very fresh.

Here’s a shot of the filling. We ate the finished dish way too soon for pictures, but I promise I’ll have them for next time!

It’s Friday! You have the whole weekend to get in the kitchen and cook. Hope you are staying toasty warm and enjoying this fresh new season!

xoxo, Patti