Celebrating two of my favorite things

75 degree weather and the new Vanilla Bean Olive Oil from Queen Creek Olive Mill, available at the Downtown Phoenix Farmer's Market Saturday mornings and Wednesday afternoons. My other favorite is blood orange olive oil. Try it too!

Lemon Arborio Soup

The delicate lemony flavor of this Italian-rice soup is subtle and wonderful. Kim was inspired to create this soup after taking a cooking class with Joann Weir at Les Gourmettes in Phoenix. This is also a great first-course soup for entertaining.

2 lemons

2 cups half and half

2 shallots, coarsely chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil w/ vanilla bean

1 cup arborio rice

8 cups chicken broth (divided use)

Sprig of fresh basil

8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast meat, cubed

12 ounces frozen sugar snap peas in the pod

With a vegetable peeler, peel rind from the lemons taking care not to get any of the bitter white pith below the peel surface. In a small saucepan, heat the half and half until tiny bubbles appear around the edges of the pot. Add the lemon peels and remove from the heat. Let sit 1 hour. Repeat the process for extra lemony flavor.

In a soup pot, heat olive oil. Saute the shallots for 30 seconds. Add the rice and cook, stirring to seal each grain of rice with the oil, until the shallots begin to carmelize, about 3 minutes. Add 6 cups of the chicken broth and the basil. Simmer about 30 minutes, until the risotto is tender.

While the rice is cooking, microwave the chicken cubes until just white (about 4 minutes in the microwave). Add the sugar snap peas and 2 cups of chicken broth to the soup and bring to a boil. Add the chicken and continue to cook until tender, 3 to5 minutes. Reduce the heat and strain the lemon infused half and half into the pot. Stir gently and serve immediately or reheat in the microwave just until warm taking care not to boil the soup.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.