Snack Time! Grilled Baby Artichokes with Lemon/ Lime Garlic Dipping Sauce

One of my favorite vegetables...the artichoke!  Or carciofi in Italian.  I first had this dish as an appetizer at one of my favorite restaurants and loved it so much that I had to try to recreate it at home.  Baby artichokes usually make an appearance in the wintertime, and come in both green and purple varieties.  I always look for the freshest looking ones at the grocery store with little or no brown on the leaves.

These tender mini versions of the prickly and time consuming larger artichokes, are much easier to prepare, as they usually haven't developed their choke yet.  You will still need to remove a few outer layers of leaves before eating because they can get tough and difficult to chew.  In the wintertime, I use my grill pan to grill the artichokes so they come out smokey and full of flavor.

To prepare them, I first trim off the stems to the base and remove the outer, tough leaves.  Then, I trim off the tops, and cut each one in half.  Sometimes I will scoop out the area where the choke is, depending on the size of the artichoke.

While heating my grill pan, I toss the halves with olive oil, sea salt, black pepper, and a touch of lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown.
  

Next, I grill the artichoke halves using the lid for pressure and to lightly steam them, until they have grill marks and become lightly browned and tender.

In the meantime, I make a lemon/lime garlic dipping sauce, using mayonnaise, lemon or lime juice, capers with a little caper juice, a chopped garlic clove, chopped parsley, salt, pepper, and a dash of smoked spanish paprika.

Once the artichokes are grilled, I remove them from the heat, sprinkle them with salt, and serve alongside the dipping sauce.  

And then I eat them!  Yumm!

These artichokes will save in the refrigerator, and make a great little snack.

It's Not So Easy Being Green.....In Winter.

The middle of winter.  I spend much of my time cooking yummy soups, and pasta dishes, experimenting with fun new recipes, and sipping the occasional hot cocoa with a sprinkle of chili or cinnamon.  Though I like feeling warm and cozy inside, I miss the days where I can just hop outside, pull some weeds, and gather fresh herbs and veggies from my yard.  In anticipation of springtime, I have decided to gather some green dishes together.

In the last days of October, just before the first freeze, I go outside and gather all of my tomatoes that are left on my plants.  This activity always signifies the end of a season.  Some of the tomatoes are red, while a lot of them are still green. 

I bring bowls of them inside and instead of waiting for them to ripen this year, I decide to pickle them.  My mouth begins to water at the very thought of the salt and vinegar taste.  They are perfect as a snack or as an accompaniment to that perfect sandwich.

I cut the tomatoes in half or quarters, add fresh herbs, garlic cloves, whole peppercorns, white vinegar and water.  

Cream of asparagus soup....a perfect winter dinner.  I use both green and white asparagus, dried thyme, onion, garlic, chicken stock, and heavy cream.  First, I saute the vegetables until brown, add the chicken stock and some cream.  I then use my immersion blender to puree, and add the rest of the cream,  Simmer until ready to eat.  I serve with grilled or toasted bread drizzled with olive oil and a glass of white wine.

Pesto!  I make batches of pesto at the end of the season and freeze it.  It is a perfect way to get the freshness of spring during the cold winter months.  I like to use pistachios instead of walnuts or pine nuts.  They add a creaminess and sweet, nutty flavor to the sauce.

Zucchini is one of my favorite summer veggies, but I try to use it often in the winter too.  I like to saute it with garlic and fresh tomato, and serve it either as a side dish or as a pasta sauce.  It is also tasty sauteed with garlic, a little onion, and tossed with warm pasta and fresh ricotta cheese.

As long as the weather is not too harsh, and the snow stays away, I can often harvest some lettuce leaves well into the winter months.  This is one of my favorite things to grow, so it is nice to be able to go outside and pick some in the wintertime.

Let it Snow

 As the snow falls, covering everything in a blanket of white, I often feel a certain restlessness and sense of anticipation.  I think about going outside to work in my garden, and gaze out of the window at a place that looks foreign and unfamiliar.  There is nothing to do now.  The garden is asleep, lying dormant beneath the frozen soil.

But as I look, I realize that the snow has a way of bringing out the quiet beauty of the sleeping garden, transforming it into something magical.  It is full of a different kind of life, as a variety of shapes, colors, and textures appear that are normally hidden behind foliage and overshadowed by the flashy colors and intoxicating aromas of spring and summer flowers.  It is a time to observe the structure, the bones of the garden.  The bright white of the snow creates a pure backdrop for such beautiful forms, enhancing what would otherwise go unnoticed. 

L'Orto Botanico di Padova

Continuing my search for plant life in and around Venice, I was told about L'Orto Botanico di Padova, and knew that this was a place that I needed to see.

The garden is located in the city of Padova, a ten minute train ride from Venice, and is a part of the University of Padova.  One of the oldest existing medicinal and botanical gardens, the Orto Botanico is quite different from any other garden that I have seen, and is by far the oldest.  I was interested to see that this garden appeared to be set up more for education, study, and use, rather than for visual beauty.  Though within this structure a natural beauty was present.  Each plant was carefully separated and labeled, with the Fennel occupying it's own little plot of land next to a Chinese Lantern.

I could have spent hours inspecting every single plant.  I visited the garden a bit late in the season, but there was still plenty to see.  Like the little guy below!

 

When I first arrived in Padova, a strong fragrance made it's way down the narrow streets from the balconies high above.  It was a smell that resembled peaches, perfume, and flowers.  When I arrived at the garden, the fragrance was stronger than ever, and just as I was about to leave, I was able to locate the source.  Olea Fragrans.....a relative of the olive!

The Colors of Burano!

Burano is just a short vaporetto trip away from Venice and is best known for their tradition of lace making.  While the lace beckons most tourists, I was most drawn to the quiet streets and the colorful surprises around every corner.  Everywhere I looked in Burano, seemed as if I was walking through a painting, full of carefully composed color, line, and texture.  The light was surreal, and at times incredibly intense on my eyes.  It emphasized shapes, and elongated shadows, making everything appear crisp and clear.  The striped curtains blowing in the wind and the sense of quiet and heightened clarity was dreamy, like something taken right out of a Fellini film. 

Of course one of my main objectives was to search for plant life on Burano....

 

 Oh.....Burano!