Missed you! Well, so much has happened since I was here last..
Most importantly I have been cooking and creating and having a
wonderful time. Just got back from Malibu where I was visiting
my OBD(Oldest, Bestest, Dearest) friend Sharon... So on the 2nd night she invited her friend Craige over to have dinner with us..
Sharon is a fabulous cook and we are always talking or emailing about food for dinner parties and things we tried and things we ate.. You know, the good bad and ugly... anyway, she said ok lets do things we have never done before.. so I said I'll do artichokes. I mean I have done them before but, I'll create a new recipe..
So, here are some things I learned... if you want to quarter an artichoke do it before you cook it otherwise it falls apart.
A big thing is that artichokes are really good for you they help to clean out the liver. They are filled with ant-oxidents thus rated number 1 in ant-oxidant count in vegetables. Among the most powerful phytonutrients are Cynarin and Silymarin, which have strong positive effects on the liver.
Adding a large artichoke to your daily diet would add 6 grams of dietary fiber! Oh, and they are only 25 calories a piece.
Now that you have the facts.... Tell you what I did.. cut the bottom to make it sit straight, then with scissors I took off the points/thorns on the leaves that stab you when you handle it.. (see photo) then I threw 5 artichokes into boiling water that had a handful of sea salt in it... Let them go for about 30 minutes maybe 40 minutes for large ones.
Then you are gonna want to put them upside down in a colander and let them drain..
Then I took 2 of then and cut in half pulled all the leaves off eating as iI went (of course I shared with the girls) took the fuzzy choke out very carefully cause you don't want to get rid of the heart.. cause that is the really great part.
I took the hearts and chopped them into chunks and then the really wonderful soft leaves in the center took them and cut off the tender part about half way up and put them in a skillet with 2 tbls EVO and garlic chopped and salt.... took 4 springs of fresh tarragon and pulled it off stem and thew that in, stirred and let it simmer..
then I added lemon zest and juice and 1/2 cup white wine and slivers of lemon (just one lemon will do the trick) and let it continue to simmer..
meanwhile the artichokes that were for us to eat were nicely drained and I then gently pulled them out ward from the center so I could take a small spoon and remove the choke from them (see photo) it also then allows room for us to put the wonderful sauce all over and in to permeate the heart of the artichoke.. I added a blooming spring of lemon thyme that Sharon had growing in her garden as a garnish..
Now I will tell you .. if you turn off the sauce and let it sit, it will get bitter.. you need to take it off the heat and serve..
What fun we had, will tell you about more of the dinner tomorrow.. gotta go! Fun food great friend and now I have met a new friend too.. life is good.
