ARTICHOKE

One can purchase artichokes year round. They are at their peak in the Fall and Spring season. Ms. Goofy and I were browsing the massive produce isle of the Berkeley Bowl West when we spied these extra colossal globes. We could not resist and purchased a few for dinner.

 
 Artichokes are simple to prepare. A sharp knife will cut the stem and top off. A few of the smaller leaves from the bottom will be removed. A good washing and then plunged into a salted boiling pot of water is the next step. It is a good idea to put some type of acid such as lemon, limes, or vinegar to prevent discoloring. I used limes to preserve the color and add a little lime kick. (We have a big lime tree in the backyard). This huge globe took 45 minutes to cook. When a knife easily goes through the artichoke heart or when the leaves pull easily from the body your artichoke is done. We served this with some mayonnaise to dip the leaves in. Once we finished with the leaves we were left with a massive heart. The heart has an almost meat like taste. It was delicious!!!!!!!!!!

NATIONAL ARTICHOKE HEART DAY

Today is National Artichoke Heart Day. Steamed, boiled, fried, barbequed, and even raw they are delicious. Let's allt have an artichoke heart to celebrate the day!!

joe’s #1 jalapa

Ol’ Benito is on center stage today. We will be entertained by some “joe’s #1 jalap”. This should be fun. It is the beginning of spring and a green jalapeno hot sauce should be the perfect compliment to the fresh artichokes, asparagus and other vegetables of the season. Did I ever tell you I love artichokes?

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P.S. Here is a picture of my parents in their television debut. They are in the audience of the "Yan Can Cook" show. (1980's)

ARTichoke

Berkeley Bowl West is a 'Foodie Paradise'. Today was no exception. We were on a mission to find artichokes. The Berkeley Bowl has so many artichoke choices. They had X-Large- to small, organic and even chokes made into dip. We chose a couple of larges and hiked to the checkout booth.

Home made mayonnaise sounded like a good idea. We have a bevy of eggs, a Meyer lemon tree, and a lot of energy. Mayo is not too hard to make. I started out with just a whisk. Ms. Goofy volunteered the idea of using her fancy 'Kitchenaid' hand mixer. After a minute of whisking I jumped on her suggestion. The mayonnaise creation was a breeze. One mayonnaise got a teaspoon of chipotle en adobo. Home made chipotle en adobo of course.

Artichokes are a sign of the beginning of Spring. We are heading to Marin for Asparagus as soon as I get off this darn computer. Maybe we will run into the Crankmeister and his beautiful Wife, the 'Angry One!'

ARTICHOKES

It is not to far away for Spring vegetables to burst into the Chilebrown kitchen. Chris from Zukerman Farms claims that in 21 days he will be able to harvest the first asparagus.

"Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, Bright globe artichokes and warm green asparagus, Brown paper packages tied up with pea tendrils, These are a few of my favorite things"(Sorry Rodgers and Hammerstein).

Our local store had some nice looking green globes of the thistle plant named artichoke. They will be cooked with just water, salt and a couple of citrus fruits. The citrus adds flavor and the acid stops discoloration. The first duty is to wash and trim your chokes.

Cut the stem to 1/2 inch before the globe. I know that 'Jacques Pepperin' leaves a longer stem and then peels it. That is why he is French.

Slice a good hunk off the top. Rub all freshly cut surfaces with lemon or other citrus. Cut all the thorny tips from the leaves to form a neat line around the orb. This is strictly for presentation and is optional. Place in a large pot that has cold salted water. Place a lemon cut in half and squeezed into water. Place trimmed artichokes in water and cover. Cook for 40 minutes at medium simmer depending on size of your spheroid. The way to check if your artichoke is done, is to peal a leaf. They should easily pull away from the body. You can also take a knife and insert it into its heart. The heart is located on the bottom of the choke. It should be tender. Drain well and let cool slightly.

Serve with mayonnaise spiked with a little chipotle en adobo. Peel away a leaf and dip. When the leaves are gone, cut away to expose the heart. There will be a purple hairy mass. Trim away and dispose. Eat the heart and break out into song. These are a few of my favorite things!