Steamed Artichokes with Garlic & Lemon Butter

Artichokes are complex, withholding, and stubborn vegetables.  And yet...they are also beautiful, delicate and delectable.   One of the greatest pleasures of one of the most pleasurable seasons is enjoying a steamed whole artichoke, leaf by leaf, slowly making your way to the soft, silky heart.  Dipping each bit in a garlicky lemon butter and pairing with a glass of Provençal Rose outside on the terrace as the sun sits low in the sky, and you will have experienced the sublime.

The simple joy of a whole steamed fresh artichoke is something I had never experienced until my mid-twenties.  Growing up in a mixture of the midwestern United States and Scandinavia, they weren't exactly readily available.  My husband however, grew up in the mediterrean-like climate of California and has fond childhood memories of scraping mayonnaise-dipped artichoke flesh off spiny green leaves until unearthing the heart like a hidden treasure. 

The first time I took a few irresistible artichokes home for the market I set them on my counter and wondered what on earth I was going to do with them.  I had enjoyed artichokes hearts so many times in so many ways, but looking at this spiky green and violet cone I had no idea how to get to it.  While  it does take a slight bit of preparation - its really quite simple.  Steamed artichokes can make the ideal appetizer at a dinner party, slowly shared around a large table while the main dish finishes cooking, they are simple and can be prepared and served with relatively little fuss.  We had ours as the accompaniment to some simple grilled chicken, enjoying them on the patio with some wine while the chicken smoked on the grill.

Steamed Artichokes with Garlic & Lemon Butter
3 to 8 medium to larg-ish whole fresh artichokes
120 grams butter (like one stick in the US)
3 large cloves garlic, pressed or minced and crushed
300 ml fresh lemon juice (like one lemon)
a few sprigs fresh thyme

Prepare the artichokes:  Cut the stems about 1/2 inch from the base of the choke and slice off the top of the choke (about 1 inch).  Remove the most outer dark leaves. With a pair of kitchen shears, trim the prickly tip from each leaf.  Rub lemon on the cut edges to keep them from browning.

 To cook the artichokes:  place in a steamer basket over lightly boiling water and steam for 30 to 40 minutes.  Alternatively, you can place directly in the water.  They will bob up on the top of the water, so they will kind of half boil/half steam.  Remove the artichokes and place upside-down on a kitchen towel to drain while they cool.

While the artichokes are steaming, prepare your dipping sauce.  Place butter in a small saucepan over med-low heat.  Add the garlic and the whole thyme sprigs after its mostly melted and slowly cook the garlic.  Let cook this way for a few minutes, until the garlic and thyme become quite pungent (don't let it get to hot or the garlic will burn).  Remove the thyme and whisk in the lemon juice.  Let cook another minute or two.  Remove from heat  but keep warm until serving.  This sauce is probably enough for 4 to 6 people to share.

To eat the artichokes, pull each leaf off, dip it in the sauce then scrape/suck/bite off the tender green part of the leaf at the bottom .  As you get further in, each leaf will have a bit more of the heart on it.  When you get to the heart in the center, simply cut off the fuzzy stuff on top of it (you can remove this before cooking if you want as well) and eat the rest (remaining stem included).

Asparagus Soup

Asparagus season seems so short and fleeting that I rarely do anything with asparagus other than roast it in olive oil or grill it. Both of those are delicious, sure, but I was getting a bit bored of the same old thing. Not to mention I kinda got excited when I saw the asparagus at the store and may have bought a little too much of it.

I had intentions of making this a fancy white asparagus soup, and drizzling some fancy herb-infused olive oil over it that I brought back from Nice. The thing is, I didn't have enough white asparagus and why go buy more asparagus when I have like 3 more lbs of the green stuff sitting in the fridge? I have always wanted to make asparagus soup and I am so glad I did. It has a subtle, delicate asparagus flavor and is the prettiest shade of spring green. I wanted to eat the sauteed asparagus tips I made for the garnish like popcorn too.


Truly this soup was delicious. It tastes great with some whole grain bread and as I was eating it I couldn't help but think how tasty a scoop of brown rice or maybe even bulgur would be stirred into it as well. It freezes and refrigerates really well - in fact it might be even better the next day. Its great for lunch, a small simple dinner, or would make a lovely first course at one of those fancy sit-down dinner parties (you know, the kind I have never had).


Asparagus Soup
based loosely on Alice Waters' recipe in Chez Panisse Vegetables

500g (1 bunch or 1 lb) White Asparagus, peeled and chopped
500g Green Asparagus, chopped reserving all of the tops
1 HUGE Leek (or 2 normal ones), chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped (all told I had about 3 1/2 or 4 cups chopped leek & onion)
2 potatoes, peeled and diced (medium-ish ones will do)
a few sprigs thyme (or a tsp or two dried)
bay leaf
olive oil
5 cups vegetable or chicken stock (in actual fact I used turkey stock and that was good too)
water (as needed)
salt and pepper

In a medium saucepan heat the stock to a low simmer, add the bay leaf and thyme sprigs and chopped asparagus and simmer for 15 minutes or just until the asparagus is getting soft.

Meanwhile, in a large stockpot stew the leek, onion, and potato in a few Tbs olive oil and a bit of water until the veggies are very soft. (you know I was thinking, garlic wouldn't be bad in this either, I might try that next time)

Add the broth and asparagus and simmer all together (uncovered) for about 10 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Allow to sit (the soup thickens and flavor intensifies as it cools) for 20 minutes or so before serving.

In a small frying pan heat some olive oil over medium heat. Add the green asparagus tips and saute until they begin to turn a golden brown. Remove from heat immediately. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with the asparagus tips.

Making Pizza (and other life lessons)

Sometimes when life is at its most overwhelming and I am feeling utterly powerless against it, cooking really helps. Chopping, pounding, kneading do wonders to work out frustration - and nothing beats the sense of accomplishment at the end when you have a delicious meal to enjoy. Especially when making something new and exciting that I have always been afraid of - like pizza dough.Making things like this make me feel less afraid to tackle the other things I have been avoiding in my life due to misplaced anxiety - like taking German classes. For 22 months I have been avoiding signing up for German classes, all the while struggling along in a life where I can't read my mail or understand the customer service agent on the phone. Its lame, living a life where you don't make your own pizza or speak the language simply because you afraid of trying something new.
But I conquered the pizza. I am sure my dough will get better and better as I practice but I did it. I just topped it with what was sounding good that day and were inexpensive at my local market - fresh local asparagus, caramelized onions and goat cheese (which I haven't stopped craving since we were in France). It was actually pretty easy, and the final product was amazing. I also realized something as I was making my humble little pizza - pizza is super cheap and (depending on what you put on it) doesn't have to be too bad for you either, which makes learning how to make it all the better.

Which brings me back to the German classes. There is a school right in my neighborhood, its affordable, and you can register online. Why haven't I done this before again? Well, if I can successfully make Pizza (which for some reason I never thought I could) then I am sure with a little practice and effort I can learn German too - and starting next month I am taking classes. So here is to getting over ourselves - and enjoying life more in the process!


Roasted Asparagus, Caramelized Onion & Goat Cheese Pizza
5 to 10 thin green asparagus stalks, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 very large onion, thinly sliced
1 log goat cheese, sliced into thin rounds (like a cup or so)(come on, pizza toppings don't need to be exact)
2 or 3 Tbs Simple Marinara sauce
1/2 recipe of pizza dough (see below)
olive oil
butter

Pizza Dough
adapted from Alice Waters' Art of Simple Food
2 tsp dry yeast
100 ml lukewarm water
1/2 cup (50g) whole wheat flour
3 1/4 cup (325g) unbleached plain white flour (type 550 in Germany)
3 tsp salt
175 ml cold water
50 ml olive oil

Stir together the dry yeast and warm water. Add the 1/2 cup whole wheat flour. Allow to sit until it gets bubbly - around 30 minutes.

Add to that the white flour, salt, cold water and olive oil. Mix throughly by hand. I just kneaded it right inside the bowl I was using since it was nice and big, but you could turn it all out onto a floured surface also. Knead for around 5 minutes.

Cover the dough inside a large bowl and let rise in a warm-ish place until it doubles in size (around 2 hours). You can also let it rise slowly overnight in the fridge, remove 2 hours before shaping.

Divide the dough into 2 balls. You can stick one in the freezer. Take the other one, cover it loosely in plastic wrap and let sit on the counter for an hour or so. Flatten into a disc, flour lightly then let sit another 15 minutes.

While the dough is rising the first time, start preparing your toppings. In a large skillet heat a couple tbs each of olive oil and butter. Add the sliced onions and saute over low heat for 20 minutes or so until carmelized and brown. Remove from heat and set aside.

Toss the chopped asparagus in olive oil and coarse sea salt and roast at 220 C (425 F) until its just starting to brown and soften (it will cook just a bit more on the pizza so you don't want to over do it). Remove from oven and set aside.

Place a pizza stone on the lowest rack in the oven (if you have it) and preheat the oven to its highest setting.

When you dough is ready, (its in a flat disc and has been sitting for 15 min or so), gently stretch it into a roundish shape (its really hard to get it perfect!) over a large piece of parchment paper (this will help you transfer it to the oven so you can cook it right on the pizza stone. If you don't have a pizza stone, shape it on an inverted baking sheet or pizza pan).

Spread the marinara over the dough, leaving an inch or two crust around the outside. Evenly distribute the toppings on the pizza. Transfer the pizza to the oven and cook for around 10 minutes - until the crust is browned and the cheese is bubbly.