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| Artichokes |
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...
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| 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 |
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.
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| The finished project, spread out by me |
