I Love this time of year because there is always amazing food fresh from the earth, One I am particularly fond of is Artichokes! I love this little thistle, but if you want to cook them fast and eat them fast then you really need to take a lesson from my mom. Yes most people boil them but that can take over an hour to do. My very smart mother taught me the best way ever. Give this a try, you can find huge artichokes at super low prices right now at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's.
Prep
Cut off the stem
cut off the top
trim the points off of each leaf using a kitchen scissor
open the top a little and run the choke under some water (they are grown in the sand so this will take care of any sand that hitched a ride)
Cooking
Place the chokes in a microwave safe bowl and fill it with about 1 inch of water
now top with plastic wrap and pop it in the microwave
you want to do 3-4 min per choke if they are big (like softball size)
just check them by opening the plastic wrap and tyring to pull out a leaf, if they come off easy they are done
I use tongs and flip them over and squeeze and extra water out
EAT
I like to serve these little green gems with melted Earth Balance or...... Vegan Mayo!!! I know but it is sooo good.
Well I hope you enjoy some of the great veg this time of year has to bring! Let me know what Veg you are enjoying this time of year too!
I love the photo of a blooming artichoke. I like to make a dip of mayonnaise, lemon juice, and lemon pepper.
ReplyDeleteOne other suggestion is to use a cover other than plastic wrap as many are saying there is some toxicity to having the wrap touch the food when it's cooking.
A good friend of mine taught me this little trick as well. I like to top mine with minced garlic and drizzle with balsamic vinegar before I cook them, they come out so delicious!
ReplyDeleteLove your blog stac!
Lori