Posted on 04/27/2017 3:38:51 PM PDT by Jamestown1630
Ive always thought that artichokes as they are available to a suburbanite like me, in the supermarket were expensive and time-consuming to prepare and cook. But I like them, and I like the ritual of eating them; so once or twice a year Ill buy them as a Rite of Spring.
Ive always steamed mine but recently found some recipes for roasting them. Since Ive come to enjoy roasted asparagus much more than I like it steamed, I thought Id try handling the artichokes this way.
I used this recipe from 'Pinch My Salt', but omitted the garlic, because I wanted to know how roasting, as opposed to steaming, changes the flavor of the artichoke itself:
http://pinchmysalt.com/how-to-roast-whole-artichokes/
They turned out well, but you know what? I still like them better steamed they just seem fresher, taste more like Spring, and offer more of the flavor of the artichoke itself.
Heres a good instruction for preparing and steaming them:
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/whole-steamed-artichokes
Many folks like dipping the leaves in Mayonnaise, but I like plain melted butter.
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Another vegetable that I like fortunately less expensive! - is Eggplant, especially in a parmigiana treatment.
Chef John of Food Wishes has a unique way of preparing Eggplant as a Baked Eggplant Sandwich which I found last weekend, and thought was brilliant. Here is a link to his site, with recipe and video:
http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2013/01/baked-eggplant-sandwiches-getem-while.html
-JT
I love this “Eggplant Caviar” from the Silver Palate Chefs (recipe from a magazine series back in the ‘90s) - made it for a party & it was delicious. Eggplants are a favorite including Baba ghanoush & I also have a recipe for a Chinese (I think) eggplant that is, for me, to “die for”. The book with that recipe is packed away & I don’t think I’ll be able to find it - I’ll look around online.
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From Silver Palate Chefs:
It’s often called “the peasant’s caviar” and, with flavors so earthy and full, we’ll take it anytime. Served on a cracker or spooned onto vegetable leaves, it’s sensational!
Ingredients:
3 medium-sized eggplants (about 3 to 3-1/4 lbs)
12 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon coarse (koscher) salt
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
salt to taste (optional)
1/2 cup pitted and chopped imported black olives
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts (see note below)
1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
1/4 cup diced purple onion
8 heads Belgian endives, leaves separated (optional)
Directions:
1 - Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
2 - Cut eggplants in half lengthwise. Make deep slits in the flesh (do not pierce the skin) and insert 2 cloves of garlic in each half. Place eggplants in a shallow roasting pan, skin-side down, and sprinkle tops with salt. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour or until eggplant and garlic are tender. Cool.
3 - With a spoon, scoop eggplant and garlic out of skin and into a bowl. Mash well with a fork. Stir in lemon juice, oil, pepper and salt. Mix well. Gently fold in remaining ingredients except endive. Refrigerate covered, to chill.
4 - To serve, place a generous spoonful on the end of a Belgian endive leaf and arrange on a decorative platter, tips of leaves facing outward. Or serve with crackers and toast in a decorative bowl.
Yield:
5 cups caviar
To Toast Pine nuts:
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Place nuts in a single layer on a small baking sheet.
Bake for 5 to 7 minutes - check after 5 minutes, and shaking baking sheet twice while toasting. Once the nuts begin to toast, they will brown quickly so be careful.
This is a really nice summer halibut dish. I use drained marinated artichokes for this.
Thank you, TIK!
ARTICHOKE HEARTS STUFFED W/ MUSHROOMS IN COGNAC CREAM
PREP 6 artichoke hearts, chokes removed, kept warm in broth
METHOD COOK 2 tb melted sweet butter, 2 c 1/2" diced mushrooms dry. Add tb cognac; flambe/cook 30 sec. Add 1/4 c h/cream, s/p, herbs; BTB. Add/thicken w/ potato starch/slurry, boil a bit. Set offheat.
ASSEMBLY Whip 1/2 c h/cream stiff. Rapidly fold into mushroom mixture, immediately fill 6 drained artichoke bottoms. Sprinkle w/ Romano cheese; broil/brown 2-3 min.
SERVE as first course.
ING 2 tb unsalted butter, 2 cups mushrooms cut into 1/2-inch-thick dice, tb cognac, 2/3 cup heavy cream, 1/4 tsp salt 1/8 tsp black pepper, tb chopped mixed fresh tarragon and parsley, 1/2 tsp potato starch, dissolved in tb cold water, 1 1/2 tsp Pecorino Romano cheese.
YUMMMMM!! Just copied that recipe.
Thanks, Liz.
That recipe is a delicious treasure.......a keeper for sure.
QUICKIE BREAKFAST-—so healthy
To heated ol/oil, add some chile flakes, then add a big handful of spinach (or leftover veggies on hand).
Sauté quicklyjust to soften and heat.
Then add in 2 eggs stirred. Scramble it up.
SERVE on a plate or stuffed in a warm pita.
Looks great and sounds outstanding. Keeping this one.
Thanks!
SWL box sounds much like Kratky hydroponic method, which utilizes closed water/nutrient system. No water or air pump. Youtube has several series of videos, from simple mason jar size for herb window box to larger scale wooden tubs.
All my lumbar discs are crapped out so the gardening stoop work is totally off the board. But I do have a dozen 5 gal buckets suitable for trial attempt. Have sketched up a simple wood frame which will bring the tops of the buckets to stand up inspection height, and harvest if all goes well. Apparently this method is very suitable for leafy greens...lettuce, spinach,etc. Setting the frame for five buckets this week, just waiting for net cups to arrive.
Thanks JT! My first & last whole artichoke was w/ her. And I have to say it was delicious.
I love anything in a warm pita......yum
http://www.seriouseats.com/2016/05/how-to-make-caramel-without-melting-sugar.html
I like the results after about 3 hours. And this stuff is great in a lot of places. Pavlovas! Ice cream! Scones! Cookies!
http://www.lottieanddoof.com/
A site that lists numerous popular food blogs and links
FEASTIE
http://www.feastie.com/recipe-sources
Toasting sugar is so innovative....and I loved the ideas bloggers came up with.
One blogger steeps the toasted sugar w/ a vanilla bean before using in baking. And what a treat stirred into coffee.
Rachel Ray does an Eggplant Panini Pita
Layer in pita pocket eggplant slices grilled w/ herbed olive oil, Cambozola cheese slices, prosciutto, arugula.
Foldover, crisp up in grill pan weighted down-—no need to melt cheese or heat inside.
NOTE Cambozola is kinda like Brie w/ a blue vein.
This intrigued me. The Blog at King Arthur Flour has suggested this as well. Really not much of a
“crusty” person. Many times they are soggy (awful!); much better w/o the crust (IE. pumpkin pie). It would be interesting to try this just to see the baked results of the crust itself.
If you haven’t already....try making pumpkin and custard pies using an oil-based pie crust recipe rather than shortening.
My experience is the oil-based crusts bake up crisper.
There’s also the trick -—baking the fillings/crust separately-—— then popping the filling into the crust at service.
Gotta have a very wide spatula to do that.
Thanks for posting that link.
Thanks, Liz. FWIW, I do like crust - but only if flaky and crisp. LOL the baked crust with sugar might have been a great ‘find’ to feed the beast
Fried Eggplant Sandwich
PREP Thick slices of eggplant lightly breaded and fried.
ASSEMBLY Layer on Hoagie bun, fried eggplant, blanket with smoked Gouda, add sauteed onions, mushrooms, red bells.
SERVE garnished with leaf lettuce, tomato, shaved red onions.
The restaurant serves its fries/special sauce on side.
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