The Artichoke Grove

The artichokes have been so much fun!  I mean, how often do we get to eat immature thistle flowers, right?  That's why our spring Crop of the Year Award goes to these beautiful little buds.

   We never thought we would grow them.  It's just not something many people grow in South Carolina.  But when we saw the seed for sale in the Heavenly Seed catalog, we decided to give it a try. This particular variety is called Green Globe.  We knew so little about them, and we had never eaten a fresh one before, just the canned hearts from the grocery store.  Thankfully, the seeds germinated and the baby plants thrived, growing into the enormous shrubs in our garden right now.  Last fall they were so large and lovely that we just couldn't cut them back like all the books/websites recommend.  So we left them and hoped that they would make it through the winter.  Perhaps it's because we had a mild winter, but they never once looked like they were bothered by the cold.  Then, about mid-March, came the fruit- and boy, have they produced!  I would say that each plant has easily produced 30 artichokes, maybe more.  Then came the challenge, and the painful moment when we realized, "We don't know how to eat these things!"  We joked (nervously) about the scene from the Little Rascals, where hungry Stymie throws the artichoke away, exclaiming, "It might have choked Artie, but it ain't gonna choke Stymie!"  That's kind of how we felt at first.  They were beautiful, but hard and prickly.  Thankfully, with the help of a friend and some internet research, we discovered how to enjoy them and we haven't looked back.

Nothing beats artichoke hearts on homemade pizza, so we canned some of our own.

Our favorite way to cook them is to roast them in the oven with garlic and lemon juice.  Trim the tops off and cut all the points off of the leaves.  Trim the stem off the bottom.  rub the top and bottom with lemon juice.  Peel several cloves of fresh garlic and place them throughout the artichoke by pushing them into the gaps between the leaves.  Cut a small piece of tinfoil, big enough to cover the entire artichoke.  Place the artichoke on the foil with the bottom down.  Squeeze a generous portion of lemon juice all over the artichoke and sprinkle with salt.  Then wrap the foil completely around the artichoke, sealing the top.  It will look something like a chocolate kiss, except perhaps not as pointy at the top.  You get the idea.  Then place on a baking sheet and roast in a preheated 375 degree oven until artichoke is tender.  The leaves will pull out easily and a fork will go smoothly through the center.  Then dare anyone not to enjoy them!
  

We still marvel at these wonderful plants every time we pass the garden.  What great variation our Lord has put into His creation!  We are so thankful to live so close to that creation and witness His handiwork even as we sit down to eat our meals.  Do you have a favorite way to cook artichokes?  We'd love to hear it!

Serving the Harvest

Spring in the South means an abundance of eggs and greens.  Many people ask us for ideas on how to cook this wonderful fresh food that we are so blessed to have.  So, on this post we have included some of our favorite recipes for this time of year.  Enjoy!


  Spinach Parmigiana

Makes 4 to 6 servings

1 tbs. butter

¾ cup chopped sweet onion, such as Vidalia

10 ounces spinach, coarsely chopped

1 tbs. water

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup milk

1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sauté the onion until tender.  Add the spinach and water and cook until just wilted.  Drain in a large sieve (we used a colander), pressing with spoon until all the liquid is drained.  In a bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, ¾ cup cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  Stir into the spinach mixture.  Pour into a lightly greased  1 ½ quart baking dish.  Sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup cheese and bake, uncovered, about 30 minutes, or until set in the center.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

From Come to the Table by Benita Long

Perhaps, like us, you have been searching for the world's best quiche.  Or perhaps you were and didn't know it.  Or perhaps you should have been.  We propose that all the people in the Good Lord's world fit into one of these categories-  So, expectant humanity, look no further.  

Asparagus and Leek Quiche

1 prebaked deep pie shell

1/2 lb. asparagus, cut diagonally into 1/2- in pieces

2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium leek, white and pale green parts only, thinly sliced

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

4 eggs

3/4 cup whole milk

3/4 heavy cream

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Prepare the pie crust.  Bring a saucepan of generously salted water to a boil.  Add the asparagus and cook, uncovered, until tender-crisp, about 3 minutes.  Drain the asparagus, then immediately plunge it into a bowl of ice water.  When cool, drain again and pat the asparagus dry.

Heat a frying pan over medium heat.  Add the olive oil.  Stir in the leek with a pinch each of salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and tender, 4-6 minutes.

In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, Parmesan cheese, cayenne, and a pinch each of salt and pepper.  Stir in the asparagus and leek.  Pour the mixture into the crust.  Bake the quiche until golden on top and just barely jiggling in the center, 45-50 minutes.

Cool the quiche on a rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing.  Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.


From Eggs by Jodi Liano

This next recipe is a long time family favorite.  Originally from Giada's Family Dinners by Giada De Laurentiis, we have adapted it to suit what we have in our garden.  Below is her recipe with our adaptations in parenthesis.  Sorry we don't have a picture.  All we can say is that this is so delicious that we tend to dig in without any thought for the camera!   

Lasagna Rolls

Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Pinch ground nutmeg
• (This is a wonderful sauce!  Don't skip the nutmeg.  It really makes it.)

Lasagna:

• 1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese 
• (We use homemade ricotta from Moore Bottom Farm's fresh milk)
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
• (We use fresh spinach, collards, kale, swiss chard, or any other greens available in the garden.  If you use fresh greens, wash them well and chop finely.  Boil them until tender and drain.  As soon as they are cool, squeeze them dry.)
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
• 3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
• (We have never used this- for us it is not necessary to include any meat because this is such a hearty dish.  To feed a large crowd for Sunday dinner, we have included homemade chicken sausage or ground venison.  Always a huge hit!)
• 1 large egg, beaten to blend
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for salting water
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 12 uncooked lasagna noodles
• (We have used both store bought and fresh homemade.  If you use fresh homemade noodles, no need to boil them before you roll the filling in them.)
• 2 cups marinara sauce
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella (about 4 ounces)

Directions

To make the sauce: Melt the butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Increase the heat to medium-high. Whisk the sauce until it comes to a simmer and is thick and smooth, about 3 minutes. Whisk the salt, pepper, and nutmeg into the bechamel sauce.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Whisk the ricotta, spinach, 1 cup Parmesan, prosciutto, egg, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend.

Add a tablespoon or 2 of oil to a large pot of boiling salted water. Boil the noodles until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Arrange the noodles in a single layer on a baking sheet to prevent them from sticking.

Butter a 13-by-9-by-2-inch glass baking dish. Pour the bechamel sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish. Lay out 4 lasagna noodles on a work surface, then spread a large spoonful (about 3 tablespoons worth) of ricotta mixture evenly over each noodle. Starting at 1 end, roll each noodle like a jelly roll. Lay the lasagna rolls seam side down, without touching, atop the bechamel sauce in the dish. Repeat with the remaining noodles and ricotta mixture. Spoon 1 cup of marinara sauce over the lasagna rolls. Sprinkle the mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan over the lasagna rolls. Cover tightly with foil. Bake until heated through and the sauce bubbles, about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until the cheese on top becomes golden, about 15 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the remaining marinara sauce in a heavy small saucepan over medium heat until hot, and serve alongside.


The last recipe for today is a fun one!  We love Chinese food and this is a special way to eat your collards, cabbages, kale, and even brussels sprouts.  It's definitely a crowd pleaser and not too complicated either.


Southern Garden Spring Rolls
1 Package Spring Roll Wrappers (Found in the refrigerator produce section of the grocery store)
1/2 head of a small red cabbage, thinly sliced
1/2 head of a medium green cabbage, thinly sliced
2 carrots, shredded
Diced ginger root
1 clove pressed garlic
Optional:  Sesame seeds and sesame oil
(Feel free to be creative with these ingredients.  You could add mushrooms, some form of meat, or substitute another green for the cabbage.)

Combine the green cabbage, shredded carrots, ginger, and garlic.  Saute until tender.  Saute the red cabbage separately to keep it from dying all the other vegetables red.  Spread the sauteed veggies out thinly on cookie sheets to let them cool.  After they cool, squeeze the veggies dry and tilt the cookie sheets, letting all the water run off.  You don't want the vegetables to make the wrappers soggy.  After the vegetables are cool and squeezed dry, transfer them all to a big mixing bowl and combine.  At this point you can drizzle a little sesame oil and sprinkle sesame seeds on the veggie mixture and stir well, if desired.
Now, time to fill and wrap the Spring Rolls.  Carefully follow the step by step directions for wrapping the Spring rolls provided here.  Like the author of this link says, resist the urge to use too much filling or they will burst!
After you have finished wrapping all the Spring Rolls, fry them in hot oil, turning them to make sure they are uniformly brown on both sides.  Serve with Chinese hot mustard.

Sweet Potato-Chocolate Nut Cake

We have found many creative ways to use sweet potatoes over the years.  This is our favorite dessert so far.  It's from Marian Morash's The Victory Garden Cookbook.  

Sweet Potato Chocolate Nut Cake

1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled,
    cooked and pureed to equal 2 cups 
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil 
4 eggs 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour 
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 
2 teaspoons baking powder 
2 teaspoons baking soda 
2 teaspoons cinnamon 
1/2 teaspoon ginger 
1/4 teaspoon cloves 
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 
1 teaspoon salt 
1 cup chopped nuts 
1/4 cup melted chocolate

Blend together potatoes, oil, eggs and vanilla extract. Add slowly the dry ingredients that have been mixed together. Fold in the nuts.  Separate 1/3 of the batter and stir in chocolate. Pour the plain batter in a greased 9 x 13-inch pan and swirl chocolate batter in to give it a marbleized effect. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until the sides have shrunk away from the pan, the top is springy, and tester comes out dry.  Let cool 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool on rack. 

(Makes a 10-inch tube cake)

Eggplant Love!

And now... The moment you've all been waiting for.....

Announcing the 2011 Waterbrook Summer Vegetable of the Year!

EGGPLANT!!!!

We really do love eggplant.  It's a good thing, too, because we are overrun with it.  We have a different eggplant dish almost every night.  We've had Eggplant Parmesan, Ratatouille, Eggplant Roll- Ups, Baba Ghanoush, Eggplant sandwiches, Oriental Eggplant Salad, and more.

They are all mouth-watering but here is one of our new favorites recipes, taken from our favorite cookbook, The Victory Garden Cookbook by Marian Morash.  It is out of print, so if you ever see one at a yard sale, snatch it up!

                                                    Imam Bayildi- "The Priest Fainted"
Apparently the priest fainted with delight when he was served this dish.  Or he could have "fainted in horror when he discovered how much expensive olive oil had been used."

Three ¾- lb. eggplants

Salt

6 medium-large onions

6 cloves garlic

½ cup olive oil

Freshly ground pepper

¼ - ½ cup parsley

Cut off the stemmed eggplant ends.  Peel off strips of skin about 1 inch wide lengthwise at 1-inch intervals.  Halve the eggplants lengthwise.  Slash the flesh and sprinkle with salt.  Place the halves on a platter with a heavy weight on top for at least 30 minutes.  Slice the onions into rings.  Peel, seed, and rough chop the tomatoes.  Mince the garlic.  

Heat 2 tbsp of the oil and saute the onions until soft and lightly colored, 5-10 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, saute for 5-10 minutes longer, and set aside.  

Squeeze the eggplants and dry them.  Heat 4 tbsp of the oil and saute the eggplants flesh side down until nicely browned.  This will probably have to be done in two batches.  Place in a saute pan that will hold all six halves snugly, or divide into two pans, flesh side up.  Gently press the tomato mixture over the eggplants, pressing into the slashes whenever possible.  Sprinkle garlic over each one.  Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with remaining oil, and pour in enough water to come about one-third of the way up the sides of the eggplants.  Bring water to a boil, cover, and simmer gently until the eggplants are tender. The cooking time will depend upon the size of the eggplants.  Start checking after 20 minutes.  Cool, sprinkle with parsley, and serve cold.

                             

Wonderful!!!