[Jamestown1630]

This week: Artichokes, Eggplants, or your favorite veggie!

(If you would like to be on or off of this weekly cooking thread ping-list, please send a private message.)

-JT

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

I mix a little mayonnaise with a pretty good splash of lemon juice and some garlic salt to dip my artichoke in but I probably eat half of it just plain.

[Hugin]

Love ‘chokes, can’t stand eggplant. I would think roasted ‘chokes would be too dry. I’ve always boiled them.

[Twotone]

I just can’t be bothered to deal with artichokes. But marinated artichoke hearts? YUM!!!

[Trillian]

I love artichokes, but the artichokes are way too big to be edible at the grocery store. Where I grew up, they were very small, tender and edible. When some of the leaves were too tough, my mom would take them off and we’d eat the tips off the leaves that were attached to the stem.
I made two casserole dishes full of stuffed eggplant covered in tomato sauce two nights ago :D

[Twotone]

A friend did give me a recipe for artichoke tapenade which is wonderful.

1) Artichokes, chopped

2) Olive Oil (extra virgin)

3) Lemon Juice

4) Walnuts, finely chopped

5) Onions, minced

6) Capers

7) Garlic, minced

8) Salt, Lemon Zest, spices & herbs, to taste…

[kalee]

I love artichokes and eggplant. My favorite way for eggplant is grilled with other vegetables, such as red bell peppers and mushrooms, served in a sandwich with lettuce, tomato, red onion, and balsamic mayonnaise. DIVINE!

[Mariner]

I buy frozen artichoke hearts and use them multiple ways.

The rest of the artichoke is...tedious.

[Stand Watch Listen]

Fried Pumkin Blossoms

Ingredients
Pumkin blossoms
2 eggs
1 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
you may like to add seasonings to the flour or even grated parm cheese, or just a little salt after they are fried.

1. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl, beat eggs in separate bowl.

2. Clean pumpkin blossoms, pull the steam and pistol out of my blossoms but thats up to you. run them under cold water and lay out on paper towels and pat dry

3. Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, Dip blossoms in egg and then dredge them in flour and gently place a few at a time into the hot oil. Fry on each side until crisp and golden. Drain on paper towels.

[Original Lurker]

I’m posting this again. Yeah, it’s that good.
My leavening agent is rye and whole wheat flour I feed a
couple days before baking bread.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_peoc8F-cuI
http://laurainthekitchen.com/recipes/no-knead-rustic-dutch-oven-bread/

My starter recipe.
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/8392/sourdough-starter/

A couple slices 1/4 inch thick toasted with butter and cheese is a great way to start your day.

[rockinqsranch]

Love artichokes boiled. We gave up butter (her), and mayo (me) years ago as we concocted a mix of mayo, and sour cream with Dijon, horseradish, salt, and pepper. Makes a great dip not just for artichokes, but perhaps a thousand things including French Fries, and Potato Chips.

[Trillian]

Here are a few that look worth trying:
Eggplant Salad/ Sandwich

Eggplant Ricotta Bake

Stuffed Eggplant with Ricotta, Spinach and Artichoke

Stuffed Eggplant Parmesan

Artichoke Chicken

I don't get why most recipes leave the skin of the eggplant on (I don't). It's so gross, tough and bitter. This is the closest one to my recipe. I like adding ground beef to mine:
Stuffed Eggplant - Melenzane Ripiene

[Covenantor]

Agree with the simpler steam or boil method with melted butter, bit of lemon juice and zest being my favorite. Have had them with Hollandaise an those were tasty, but then shirt cardboards with Hollandaise are darn tasty as well.

As for other methods, my lovely darling new bride of six weeks decided we should host our first small dinner party, just two other couples. On the menu was a rolled beef roast from Nevada Meats, roasted potatoes and something else with artichokes as the appetizer.

As host I was passing out adult beverages with my sweetie in charge of cooking. After an hour I noticed a concerned look on my wifes face, she had been popping into the tiny kitchen every five minutes and promising dinner would be ready any moment now. I slipped away to see what was up. Six lovely artichokes with clipped tips artfully arranged in the large cast iron skillet on a very low flame awash in a puddle of butter. Finding the little kitchen suspiciously cool, a quick check of the oven revealed a blue bundle of meat shivering with the knob turned to one. In a nano second I manned up and informed our guests that a malfunctioning oven had put the kibosh on the at home dinner and our party would decamp to a nearby restaurant.

Never asked her where she got the artichokes in the pan idea from. While new to the husband role, I was not stupid. Silence is indeed golden in such matters.

[beethoven]

One of my dear friends used to live in Cottonwood, Arizona. When I would visit her we'd go to a restaurant in Cornville called Manzanita. The “father” was always in the kitchen cooking. He made a mini casserole with artichoke leaves and possibly Gruyere cheese. It was wonderful. The dish was designed to pick up the leaves by hand and dip. I remember the consistency being very easy to dip with the leaves, so there was obviously more than just cheese. If anyone has ever has something similar and has an idea how to make it, please let me know! I've made attempts at reproducing the dish, but it's never as good as what he made.

[pugmama]

I like this version of the classic dip as it uses fresh artichokes:

http://gardenandgun.com/recipe/southern-artichoke-dip/

[pugmama]

I am a huge fan of Yotam Ottolengi’s recipes. I have all his books and use them often, when the garden is in full glory:
Here are 3 recipes that I’ve made and really enjoyed.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jun/05/artichoke-recipes-stuffed-salad-braised-yotam-ottolenghi

[pugmama]

Our Gourmet club did an ode to Ottolenghi dinner. I made these 3 recipes for the vegetarians in the group. The gratin uses frozen artichokes. You can swap f other vegetables in the very full pie. I always make this when the garden is producing its’ wonderful bounty.

http://bluecayenne.com/turkish-eggplant-with-yogurt-and-green-chile-oil?print=print

http://bluecayenne.com/tag/artichoke-gratin

https://thecafesucrefarine.com/ottolenghis-very-full-roasted-vegetable/

[pugmama]

I have posted this before, but will again in case someone wants to try it. I love this recipe. I double it and freeze a batch for the times when I need an instant appetizer. It always disappears very quickly.

http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Caponata-1000087189

[Qiviut]

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.

**********************************************************
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.

[pugmama]

This is a really nice summer halibut dish. I use drained marinated artichokes for this.

http://foodanddrink.ca/lcbo-ear/RecipeController?language=EN&recipeType=1&action=recipe&recipeID=6715