Posted on 04/27/2017 3:38:51 PM PDT by Jamestown1630
I’ve 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 I’ll buy them as a ‘Rite of Spring’.
I’ve always steamed mine but recently found some recipes for roasting them. Since I’ve come to enjoy roasted asparagus much more than I like it steamed, I thought I’d 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.
Here’s 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
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
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.
Love ‘chokes, can’t stand eggplant. I would think roasted ‘chokes would be too dry. I’ve always boiled them.
They didn’t turn out dry - at least they didn’t wrapped in the foil, like I did them - but roasting, and the olive oil, changed the taste a lot. I tasted more ‘roast’ and olive oil, than artichoke.
There are also recipes out there for grilling them; but I think I’ll stick with boiling/steaming.
I just can’t be bothered to deal with artichokes. But marinated artichoke hearts? YUM!!!
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
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…
Yes, those are wonderful.
There used to be an eatery on K Street in DC that had a little pizza place. They made the most wonderful artichoke ‘white’ pizza, and I think those were the marinated artichokes.
The ubiquitous ‘Hot Artichoke Dip’ is good, too; but I think that usually uses canned, not marinated, artichokes (?)
Does that use the canned or marinated artichokes?
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!
That sounds good! We used to have a sort of ‘mom and pop’ diner near me, which served an Eggplant Parmigiana Submarine Sandwich. I think that’s what really got me hooked on eggplant.
I buy frozen artichoke hearts and use them multiple ways.
The rest of the artichoke is...tedious.
I think it uses canned. Haven’t made it myself in ages.
I’ve always been curious about ‘Jerusalem Artichokes’ - which I realize is a completely different plant-thing.
Many years ago I lived in a house that had an enormous stand of it outside; it came back every year. My landlady never did anything with it, and it was only years later that I learned that the tubers of this plant are ‘food’.
When a freshman at the University of Texas, a neighbor, an upper class Mexican who was apparently betrothed to a cartel leader’s son - crazy situation, 24/7 - would take over the kitchen occasionally and reproduce her favorites of the family chef’s dishes, and artichokes were typically the appetizer.
Dragging the flesh off each leaf between your teeth is an acquired taste - and habit - but it seems the very rich adore complicated foods, ones you can play with.
Well, I’m not very rich ;-) But I do like dipping the little scrumptious bit into butter, dragging it off with my teeth, and finally getting to the heart.
It’s too much work to have fresh ones often, but the canned and marinated options available make artichokes a great addition to many recipes. They’re very healthy, too:
http://www.foodmatters.com/article/why-we-should-all-be-eating-more-artichokes
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.
I’ve always wanted to try fried squash blossoms. But I don’t have a garden...yet ;-)
Steam em. Serve them with homemade hollandaise. Tasty.
Friday’s make a spinach artichoke dip that I buy when it’s on sale. I mix this with a lot of good parm , pasta and Canadian bacon or prosciutto. Tasty too.
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