Risotto con bruscandoli (Wild Hop Shoots)

& the secrets of my garden in spring

The chirp of a little bird flying on the pear tree ready to blossom, reminds me of a hidden corner in my garden where small, wild seasonal herbs wait to be picked each spring. Sometimes they are early, sometimes late, but they always pop up, you just have to remember or wait.

It's a small secret shared among my family that has been handed down by my maternal grandfather, number one in the knowledge of spring's wild crops.

I don't usually walk on there, near the edges, therefore it's a little scruffy, and ideal for the shoots of plants to grow undisturbed. They remain hidden during the winter and then, like springtime that takes you aback, you remember them: i bruscandoli! ...as they are known here in the Veneto Region although they are well known almost everywhere in the North of Italy.

They are the shoots of the hop, the plant for the beer making. That's right! You can spot them only if you know what they look like. They come out with their little green buds and are very similar to miniature asparagus. You can notice them because they grow tall and straight compare with the other nearby wild plants.

The bruscandoli grow hidden, in dry and shady places, generally under the protection of the bramble. You must be careful of other stingy intruders as well as the brambles, but as soon as your eyes spot them, it's easy then to pick a good bunch.

They are young and tender, I usually put them in a sieve or in a little bunch and wrap them with some paper so that they won't wither. When my harvest has been lucky, the thought of a lovely green risotto or an omelet makes me happy.

My boots get a bit muddy but, after all, going on “secret expeditions” like this one is like going hunting for something special in unexplored lands. Venturing into the secret corners of my garden corresponds to feeling like a child again and hearing the grandfather's warm, reassuring voice saying, " Look closely, you'll find them!"
The silent and solitary harvesting of bruscandoli, as well as many other wild herbs, is one of my favorite things to do in spring. Equal to cooking green-colored risottos!

The recipe is very simple, as is the taste of this risotto, which nevertheless is one of those foods most representative of the Veneto peasant tradition. Here it is!  

RISOTTO CON BRUSCANDOLI

Ingredients:
(Serves 4)

• 350 gr risotto rice (such as carnaroli or vialone nano)

• 1 bunch of bruscandoli

• 2 cloves of red garlic

• 1 small white onion

• Homemade vegetable stock

• 2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil

• A pinch of salt and pepper

• 1 knob of butter

• Freshly grated parmesan cheese to taste

Instructions:

1. First of all, you need a proper pan as the risotto should always be cooked in a saucepan with high edges, better if it's in copper. Start by getting rid of the hard part of the shoot stalk, keeping only the tender leaves and all the heads. Wash them well and then roughly chop them.

2. In a small pot heat the vegetable stock previously prepared.

3. Heat the olive oil and sautè 2 cloves of red garlic and the onion finely chopped, then remove the garlic and add the bruscandoli. Put the lid on and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes, adding a little water so that they won't dry up too much.

4. Add the rice and leave it to toast for a few minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon.

5. Add some of the hot vegetable stock to the rice and keep adding it with care and patience, stirring continuously until the rice is cooked. This requires some time, depending on the quality of the rice chosen. The rice is cooked when the inner white part of the rice grain is not visible anymore.

6. Turn off the heat,  season with salt and pepper to taste.  Add the butter and the parmesan so to give the risotto a creamy texture and serve immediately.