Featured Cooking Guide

Guide to Artichokes

Sausage, Artichoke and Tomato Pizza

Ingredients
Olive or vegetable oil cooking spray
4 ounces bulk sweet Italian sausage
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 clove garlic, sliced
1/3 cup crème fraiche or light sour cream
1 whole-wheat pizza crust (12 inches)
1 cup artichoke hearts, halved (if using canned, rinse and drain)
2 large plum tomatoes, diced
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan-Reggiano, or Grana cheese
1/2 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, finely chopped

Method
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly dust back of baking pan with cornmeal or flour. In sauté pan, brown sausage and cook thoroughly. Drain extra fat and set aside. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to sauté pan, add sliced garlic and cook over low-medium heat until translucent. Spread crème fraiche or sour cream in thin layer on pizza crust and sprinkle with garlic. Top with sausage, artichokes, and tomatoes; sprinkle with cheeses. Bake until cheeses are melted and slightly golden, Sprinkle with fresh oregano and serve.

Warm Artichoke Potato Salad

Ingredients
1 pound baby Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/4″ slices
1/2 pound artichoke hearts, halved (or use 8 ounce bag frozen hearts, thawed)
4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
salt & pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Method
In a large pot of boiling water, cook potatoes until tender. Add artichokes to boiling water with potatoes for 1 minute then drain both. In a large bowl whisk together the vinegar and the mustard. Whisk in the olive oil slowly until incorporated. Add the warm, drained potatoes and artichokes and toss to coat. Let the potatoes sit for 10 minutes or longer to absorb the flavor of the dressing. Add parsley and toss. Season well with salt & pepper.

Artichokes: Select, Prepare, and Serve

Last modified on 2008-05-07 19:52:07 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

They say that if you grab a thistle quickly enough its barbs won’t sting you - no one is actually fast enough, but it’s a great trick to play on city slickers. Personally, I prefer savoring my thistles and lingering over each bite. And by “thistles” I mean artichokes, which are the flower buds of a large thistle that originated in the Mediterranean and are particularly popular in Italy and France.

Selecting
A tough vegetable, artichokes can put up with a lot of abuse and keep well in the fridge. Ideally an artichoke should be very tight (a loose artichoke indicates it getting ready to bloom and will be tough). The color should be olive green and don’t be overly concerned with brown/purple splotches on the leaves - you’ll peel those off and discard them anyway - but do look for and avoid artichokes where the leaf tips are shriveled.

Eating
Typically these large globes are steamed, often over water flavored with lemon juice and white wine. Artichokes are usually served whole and the leaves (petals, actually) are peeled off, dipped in a sauce, and then you scrape the flesh off of the inedible leaf between your teeth. At the center you find a mass of spines that need to be cut out leaving you with the piece de resistance, the heart and stem.

The most common sauce is melted butter and lemon juice - often flavored with herbs. But Hollandaise, aioli, and even plain mayonnaise are popular sauces.

Serving

My quick artichoke sauce:
1/2 cup mayonnaise (Hellmans or Best Buy)
2 cloves pan-roasted garlic, minced
1/2 - 1 tsp hot Spanish paprika

Steaming Artichokes

Last modified on 2008-10-20 22:00:25 GMT. 1 comment. Top.

I do not have a double boiler, how can I steam an artichoke?

Spinach Salad with Artichokes, Potatoes, and Green Beans

Last modified on 2007-06-22 23:23:08 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Spinach Salad with Artichokes, Potatoes, and Green Beans

CHEF: Cary Wolfson
CATEGORY: Salads
FOOD MOOD: Quick and Easy
CUISINE: New American Regional Recipes
SERVINGS: 4
INGREDIENTS
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 10-ounce package ready-to-use spinach leaves or 1 pound fresh spinach, stemmed
1 8-ounce can Spanish artichoke hearts, drained, quartered
6 boiled chilled sliced red bliss potatoes
4 oz. fresh green beans, blanched and shocked

METHOD
Combine first 8 ingredients in blender or processor and blend until well combined. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Combine spinach, artichoke hearts, potatoes and green beans in large bowl. Toss with enough dressing to coat generously. Divide among 4 plates and serve.

PREP TIME: approx. 20 minutes

Romantic Menus and Chocolate

Last modified on 2008-04-02 00:48:39 GMT. 2 comments. Top.

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