Artichokes

Artichokes

So I decided since the name of this blog is "Artichokes to Zeppole" it'd probably make more sense to talk about foods from A to Z. A(rtichokes) to Z(eppole), get it? Of course you do!
And it makes sense that I start with Artichokes. Ah, artichokes! That funny looking green bulb that resembles some kind of cactus more than a vegetable. I have always been a little intimidated to try and cook an artichoke.Now, love artichoke hearts. And, from time to time, indulge in that gooey, cheesy artichoke spinach dip they serve at most chain restaurants. But how do you penetrate that dragon-scale looking exterior? I was about to find out!
My fear aside, I went into the market and bought four artichokes (how many does one serve, anyway?), some lemons, cheese and various herbs. I went home and Googled "how to cook an artichoke". Most websites were the same on preparation. So, with counters cleared and my knife and kitchen shears in hand, I began dismantling the artichoke. My first step, of course, was to wash the artichoke. I do have to say that while washing in between the leaves a dead bug floated out. Eating lots of organic veggies, you kind of expect this, but still... I couldn't help but have a hrmpf! reaction. Bug or no bug, I kept the artichoke.
Next, I took a sharp knife and cut part of the top off, and then the stem, so the artichoke was able to stand up. Finally, I had to trim the sharp points off all the leaves.What most website don't tell you is that the leaves on an artichoke prick you like thorns on a rose! Those little buggers hurt! And as I was trimming them they kind of flew around the kitchen like mini-missiles. Hey, I never pretended to be a chef or know what I'm doing!
So, this is what they looked like after preparation...

Probably not the best cutting job

Once they were ready, I dropped them carefully into a pot of boiling water with two halved lemons. My pot was a little small, but it seemed to get the job done. Some recipes I read you can boil the artichoke and then bake it, or bake it directly. I went with the boil & bake method. I waited about 30 minutes until they got a little tender and took them out of the water. After letting them cool, very carefully I dug out the inside with a spoon (I'm guessing this was the actual artichoke heart), and filled it with the cheese mixture I had made. I used Gorgonzola, but I would suggest experimenting. I'm not a hug fan of Gorgonzola and I kind of wished I had experimented myself.  Then I topped it with bread crumbs and a drizzle of olive oil. I actually got the recipe from Food Network: Baked Artichokes with Gorgonzola and Herbs.

Ready for the Oven

I figure maybe as I get closer to the end of the alphabet I will feel more comfortable tweaking recipes to my own preferences. And anyway, this was more about preparing an artichoke rather than coming up with some fabulous new recipe for one.
The finished product was ready for the oven. So, while it was baking I sat back, painted my nails and flipped through some magazines. When the timer went off, I raced to the stove - hungry and excited to see my creation. I carefully placed one of the artichokes on a plate and waited for it to cool down some. They also don't tell you the way to eat an artichoke in a lot of recipes. You can't just chew the leaves, but you break one off and then scrape the "meat" off with your teeth. So, I dipped a leaf into the cheese mixture, bit down and pulled. I have to say, I was a little disappointed. Not that it didn't taste good, but I guess I expected something else. Maybe it was just my apathy towards Gorgonzola.

The finished project, spread out by me

Anyway, that was my artichoke adventure. My next task will be something that begins with "B". Borscht? Babka? Baba Ganoush? Who knows! Guess we'll just have to see where my taste buds lead...

Feasting at the Greenmarket

Does my gelato have an eye? 

Chicken Empanada

Today is a fry-an-egg-on-the-sidewalk hot kind of day. You know, the kind of day where you take a cold shower, but start sweating again once you step out. If it wasn't for my desire to taste some of the food I saw last week-- and being famished from not eating breakfast-- I probably would have just stayed inside my air conditioned apartment all day.
When I got to the Greenmarket, I did my usual perusing of all the vendors. I was pleased to see a few more this week than last. With stomach growling I decided to get some food. My first stop was Maria T. Llyod's "Peruvian Delights". There were many choices listed on the whiteboard from beef tamales to fried plantains. I decided to go with a chicken empanada. Since the temperature was nearing 90 degrees I wasn't sure fried dough filled with steaming hot chicken was a great choice, but after the first bite I wasn't sorry. The crust was golden yellow and crispy, and the shredded chicken inside was moist and spicy. For $3 I thought the empanada was quite a bargain.

As much as I hated to, I had to stop eating it so I'd have room for the Thunder Mountain Curry that I wanted to try. I looked at their menu choices. There was the usual Pad Thai you'd expect, but I saw a "Thai Curry Plate" which included chicken curry, sauteed mixed veggies (I'm sure it had another name), Sri Lanken beets with five flavors, and I think yellow curry. I was curious about the Sri Lanken beets, so I decided to get the Plate.  They gave a generous scoop of each over jasmine rice. I also got a Thai tea to quench my thirst. I have to say I was a little disappointed with the tea. It wasn't as cold as it was last week, but rather lukewarm. However, the Thai Curry Plate was delicious. The mixed veggies were just the way I like them - still crunchy and not mushy. I was hoping the chicken curry would be spiced a little more, but I'm wondering if the spice was kept low to please the palates of someone unfamiliar with Thai cuisine. I couldn't finish the whole plate, but I'm rather excited to have leftovers to bring to work tomorrow.

Thai Curry Plate

After the Thai, I walked around some more and bought beautiful looking kale and parsley. I plan on making some kale chips, perhaps tomorrow night and I'll include the recipe in my next blog. They are quite easy and very tasty. Lay's chips and kale chips have something in common: once you have one, you just can't stop. Of course, kale chips are SO much better for you.
One thing about going to a farmer's market is that each vendor has samples out for you to try. Free food = aweeeesomeeee! There's breads, cheeses, pickles, and even wine (if you're 21 or over). One delicious sample I tried was for Gar-La-La by Zorba's Natural Food. It's a Greek spread made with a potato base and garlic. They have a variety of flavors, but I went with the original. The vendor told me to try it on sandwiches in place of mayo and I think I will. Garlic is so good for you. Give it a try at Gar-La-La.

Because I knew it would taste divine on such a hot day, I ended with a gelato (shown at top). I got the medium which allowed me to pick four flavors. I got the pineapple and raspberry sorbets, trojan temptation (minds out of the gutter, please! Though it did contain nuts...), and dark chocolate chip. I must say that I think I prefer the sorbets the best, though all flavors were yummy. It melted faster than I could eat it, and all the flavors kind of blended together. Next time I think I'll just stick to one sorbet.

On a final note that has nothing to do with the farmer's market, I took some Wilton cake decorating classes a couple years ago, and yesterday I made a small birthday cake for a friend's daughter whose birthday is today. It's a vanilla cake with buttercream frosting. I thought I'd post a picture of it. It's nothing grand, but I think it's kinda cute. And after all, this blog is about all kinds of food - from A to Z!

Kinda cute, right?

Lazy Sunday at Schenectady Greenmarket

Colorful Vegetables

Today is a beautiful day in Schenectady and I decided to take advantage of it by visiting--for the first time-- the Schenectady Greenmarket.  Located outdoors, near City Hall, local farmers and vendors sell their wares at reasonable prices.

Running the River

Side-by-side colorful tents lined the streets as people walked up and down examining the goods and sampling them too. There was even live Irish music supplied by Running the River. They provided an enjoyable soundtrack to the laid-back setting of the afternoon.
 I was pleasantly surprised by the number and variety of vendors. They were selling everything from granola to goat cheese, pesto to pottery. It all looked so good! I decided to take my time and casually peruse each tent before stopping to make any purchases. I really wanted to stop at Cows & Chicken's Cupcakes - they looked so yummy! But the smells coming from the small red tent of Thunder Mountain Curry quickly drew my attention. I walked over and watched as a chef, hunched over a small hot plate,  threw noodles and julienned vegetables into a screaming hot wok. He deftly tossed them together and in a single fluid  motion filled a container for a waiting patron. I so wanted to try the Pad Thai (next time!), but since it was still early in the day, I opted just to get a Thai Iced Tea instead. Since I've eaten at Thai restaurants before, Thai tea is nothing new to me and there wasn't anything particularly glamorous about this one. Don't get me wrong, it was still good, but how can you really mess up a recipe that is simply strong black tea served with sweetened condensed milk? I did look Thunder Mountain Curry up on Google, hoping they had a local restaurant. Imagine my surprise when I found out they are located at RPI!
Moving forward, I did notice a lot of people selling some kind of granola or muesli.  I'm picky about my granola, so it was hard to decide which one to try. I love granola, especially for breakfast in my Greek yogurt. Though one granola did catch my eye: "Chipmunk's Choice" by Gatherer's Gourmet Granola. Why did I pick them? Their granola had peanut butter. I am a fool for peanut butter! Made also with almonds and maple syrup, I definitely think I made the right choice! OK, I am eating it now and it's addictive!! Someone stop me, please! No, don't. If you're a fan of granola, check out their website: Gatherer's Gourmet Granola. These guys know how to make it right!

Naga Bakehouse

One of my weaknesses is fresh baked bread. At the Schenectady Greenmarket there were certainly no lack of choices. One tent in particular caught my eye. It was that of Naga Bakehoue and their wood-fired bread. Located in Vermont, they grow their own organic grains and other ingredients. I choose the baguette seen at right. It was rye with sunflower and flax seeds. It was just as fresh baked bread should be: crusty on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside. Since it was wood-fired, there was also a smokiness to it that was not unpleasant.

A couple of tents down from Naga's was BuddhaPesto. I think with pesto you either love it or you hate it, there's really no in between. I love pesto; however, I have had some bad pesto. It's been over garlicked, too much basil, not enough oil. When the vendor handed me a sample, I timidly took a bite and oh. my. gawd! This was probably the best Pesto I've ever had! The vendor assured me the basil had been picked fresh that morning and I don't think he was lying. There was the perfect basil/pine nut/garlic ratio. If you're a pesto lover like me look for them at BuddhaPesto. It truly is "enlightenment for your taste buds"! The only thing that slowed me down from buying it was paying $8 for an 8oz. tub. However, I think it was worth it for how good this was and made from all natural ingredients.
When I got home, I scooped some into a small bowl and ripped off a piece of the Naga bread and that was my lunch. It was simple and delicious and completely satisfying. I look forward to going back to the Greenmarket next Sunday and seeing what culinary delights await!

My lunch. Oh yes, be jealous.