Sauteed Artichokes in Olive Oil

This was the second thing I made last week that demonstrated quite well that my smoke alarm works. I got it from here.

Preparation requires removing the fibrous undeveloped petals (the “choke”) and some tough, sharp central leaves, in addition to the inedible outer leaves. I will give step by step prep instructions, but after doing a couple you will find it is not difficult. When buying, look for the artichokes’ leaves to be tightly closed; those with leaves pulled away and opening will have more waste. They should be medium green with minimal discoloration and should feel heavy for their size.

1 large artichoke per person for a generous serving
Extra virgin olive oil
Fresh lemon juice to taste, plus ½ lemon for every 3-4 artichokes
Sea or kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Dry white wine (approximately ¼ cup for 3-4 artichokes)
1 clove garlic, sliced thin for 3-4 artichokes (optional)

To a bowl large enough to hold the sliced artichokes add cold water to 1/3 full and add the juice from ½ lemon for every 3-4 artichokes (acidified water prevents the slices from discoloring).Cut the stem from the artichoke. Trim and discard the browned end and peel or slice away the green skin. Slice the stem into 1/8 inch pieces and place into the bowl.

Lay the artichoke on its side and, using a serrated knife or a very sharp chef’s knife, remove the top 1/3 and discard. Stand the artichoke on its cut end (stem side up) and, using the chef’s knife, make slicing motions which follow the contour of the artichoke to remove the tough outside leaves. The knife starts almost flat on the wide stem end of the artichoke and gradually turns vertically as it moves forward and down along the leaves. Continue around the artichoke until all the dark, tougher material is removed. Trim the stem end of all dark green skin. The finished artichoke should have a light green to yellow-green color and the remaining leaves should be tender.

Halve the trimmed artichoke vertically through the stem end. In the middle above the solid heart is the furry choke, as well as some small triangular white or purple white leaves with sharp points. Scrape under them with a grapefruit spoon or melon baller until the choke and these leaves are removed. You may have to pull out some of the small central leaves by hand.

Turn the artichoke half, cut side down, and slice vertically into thin slices. Place the slices into the acidified water. Prepare remaining artichokes.

Choose a sauté pan large enough to hold the slices in a thin layer and heat over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers, drain the artichoke slices and add to the pan along with the garlic. Cook, shaking the pan and stirring, until some of the slices are slightly browned and the slices are starting to soften.

Pour in white wine and cook, scraping the pan, until reduced to a glaze. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste and cook for a minute or two. The slices should be somewhat firm when finished. Taste and correct seasoning; serve immediately or cool and reheat briefly if serving later.

This preparation is actually quite simple after a little practice, and you will find that sautéed artichokes are versatile, as described above. I like to sauté thin strips because they are done within minutes, in contrast to preparations which cook them whole or halved. They can, however, be cooked as halves or quarters in the same manner, although a lower temperature and longer cooking time is required to prevent burning. It is also helpful to start them covered until partially cooked, then uncover for browning.

In a season when few quality green vegetables are available, take advantage of fresh artichokes which can be adapted to many winter menus.

RESULTS: I think this one just takes some practice. Trimming the artichoke was tricky. I was sort of fighting with myself the whole time to take off enough vs. taking off too much and missing some delicious delicious artichoke meat. It was also quite difficult to time the cooking right, to get it browned and tender but not burnt. I would err on the side of a low temperature and work your way up. The pieces that weren't burnt to a twig-like state were quite delicious.

Hey!

Eau Claire is the second best place in Wisconsin to raise a family! Not that that really has any meaning for me right now, but it's still good to know.

Volume One's Big Week, #58 from Volume One on Vimeo.

Braised Broccoli Rabe

This is an Emeril recipe.

Ingredients:

* Salt
* 2 bunches broccoli rabe, stems trimmed and washed
* 4 tablespoons olive oil
* 4 ounces pancetta or mortadella, finely chopped
* 6 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
* 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
* 1/2 cup chicken stock

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli rabe and blanch for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add pancetta and saute for 4 minutes. Add garlic and crushed red pepper and cook for 2 minutes, or until the garlic is fragrant. Do not allow the garlic to brown. Add the broccoli rabe and chicken stock, partially cover the pan and cook until the greens are tender, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt, if necessary. Serve hot or warm, with some of the cooking liquid ladled over the top.

Results: Well, this was one of two dishes that I made this week that assured me that our smoke alarm is working. Other than making a lot of smoke, I'm not sure how much flavor the pancetta really adds. Your call. I like greens done as simply as possible, though, so maybe it's just not my thing. By the way, to make this into a meal, I mixed the rabe with pasta and Parmesan cheese.

Baked Seasonal Fruit

This is from that same Washington Post article as La Farinata.

Summary:

Use whatever fruit at the farmers market is at its peak. In the summer, D.C. cook Deborah Thawley likes to use peaches, nectarines, plums or figs. In the fall she uses pears and apples, often adding blueberries or blackberries in the last 10 minutes of oven time. And she sometimes adds thin slices of lemon or orange peel, dried fruit, for another flavor.

Two tablespoons of whiskey can be used instead of the sugar and lime or lemon juice.

This dish is best served right after it is made.

4 servings

Ingredients:

* • Juice of 1 lime or lemon (2 to 3 teaspoons)
* • 2 medium apples, cut in half and cored
* • 2 medium pears, firm and well-flavored
* • 1 tablespoon sugar, preferably vanilla sugar (see NOTE)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Sprinkle the juice in the bottom of a medium gratin or baking dish.

Place the pears and apples cut side down in the gratin or baking dish. Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the top of the fruit. Roast for about 45 minutes, until the skin of the fruit is well browned and slightly puffed. Serve warm.

NOTE: To make sugar with a vanilla perfume, submerge a vanilla bean in a tightly closed container of sugar for at least a week before using.

Results:

I like the versatility of this recipe, how you can use whatever fruit you like and whatever is in season. Having said that, I think some fruits are going to be better than others. I used an apple that wasn't great for cooking, so it got really mushy, like apple sauce. I also thew some cranberries in toward the end. Cranberries are really tart without sugar. The whole thing tasted a bit like a sweet-tart. I made it for breakfast and it certainly woke us up! But, maybe not the best combo.

La Farinata

I got this recipe from a Washington Post article.

Summary:

This hors d’oeuvre makes a great afternoon snack or party starter. Chickpea flour is available at some larger Giant stores and at Whole Foods Market; look for the Bob’s Red Mill brand.

Use fresh rosemary or freshly dried. Deborah Thawley uses extra-virgin olive oil for all her recipes because she says it lends more flavor.

MAKE AHEAD: The batter needs to rest for at least 30 minutes and can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Makes 2 medium pancakes (8 to 12 servings)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chickpea flour
• 1/2 cup cold water, or as needed
• Good-quality extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt
• Leaves from 1 or 2 (3-inch) sprigs of rosemary (see NOTE)

Directions:

The process is similar to making a regular pancake.

Combine the chickpea flour and enough of the water in a mixing bowl to make a thick batter, stirring to dissolve any lumps. Add the remaining water until the batter is the consistency of tahini or thick pouring cream.

Add a teaspoon of oil and the salt; mix well. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Just before serving, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large nonstick skillet (10 to 12 inches) over medium-high heat. then add the rosemary. When the oil is hot (after about 30 seconds), the rosemary will start to "jump" in the skillet.

Pour half of the batter into the skillet. It should cover the bottom of the skillet to a depth of about 1/8 inch. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes, until the pancake is set crisped and golden underneath. Carefully turn over and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Slide onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges, sprinkle with salt and generous grindings of pepper. Serve immediately.

Cover and refrigerate the remaining batter for up to 2 days.

NOTE: If making a second pancake right away, you'll need the leaves from a second sprig of rosemary and another 2 tablespoons of oil for the skillet.

Results: I'll be honest, I had my doubts about this. It seemed too easy, and I've ever had chickpea flour before so I was pretty sure that this recipe for La Farinata would turn out to be a recipe for disaster. I was able to make two pancakes. The first one was a put gummy and dry, and I think it was a heat control issue. For the next pancake, I let the pan heat up more before I poured the batter. You don't want to heat it too much, though, if you're using a non-stick skillet since at that temperature the Teflon could start to give off fumes if you let it sit on the stove too long before adding the batter.

The second pancake was much better. It was the texture of a thick American flapjack, not as puffy but still a little puffy. I have no idea if this is the right texture for this dish since I've never had it before, but it was good. And, if you're wondering where to get chickpea flour, I found some in the organic section for way less than I was expecting. It was about $3 for a 1 lb, 6 oz bag.

Kohlrabi

I've sort of been scared of kohlrabi. It looks scary, it's got an extra h in the word that's just sort of loitering... it's an intimidating vegetable, but it's also one of the veggies I saw most often at the farmer's market, especially up here. I finally decided to get some. Turns out that it's a German vegetable that grows pretty easily most places. Here's what Cook's Thesaurus says:

kohlrabi = cabbage turnip = stem cabbage = turnip cabbage Pronunciation: kohl-RAHB-ee or kohl-RAH-bee Notes: A kohlrabi resembles a turnip, only it's sweeter and more delicately flavored. It's light green and sometimes sold with its edible greens attached. It can be eaten raw or cooked. Choose small ones, and peel before using. Substitutes: broccoli stems OR celeriac (especially in remoulades) OR turnips OR parsnips

I tried it both ways, raw and cooked. It was mild both ways. When it was raw it was sort of sweet, but not like sugar, more like honey. Cooked it just sort of tasted like a cooked turnip. To cook it I trimmed the ends and peeled it like I would peel a melon. The potato peeler didn't work on the big kohlrabi I got. If it was really long or round, I cut it in half crosswise, then used a big sharp knife I just sort of carved around the edges to get off the tough skin. Then I just roasted it like a root vegetable (cubed or sliced evenly, tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roasted at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until soft). You can also saute the greens like you would spinach. They tasted pretty normal.
All in all, I wouldn't say it was all that interesting, except in raw form.

Job!

Hurray, I got a job! I'll be an "executive administrative assistant" at CESA 10 (CESA=Cooperative Educational Services Agency, and there are 12 in the state). Basically I'll be doing very similar work to what I did before, doing teacher professional development and training. It's not a bad commute, about a 20-minute drive. Granted, not as good as my previous 20-minute walk, but there are some pretty rocks and a Culver's frozen yogurt on the way.

At this point, its a temporary job. I'll know in the summer if it turns into permanent, it's sort of dependent on some grants or something. Anyway, very exciting!