Artichokes!

In writing an essay on artichokes for my herbalism program recently, I reaffirmed my eternal love affair with this glorious vegetable. I really think they're the best part of spring (only potentially rivaled by asparagus.) My best friend Sophia loves artichokes so much she tattooed one on her leg!

We recently planted about 15 artichoke plants in the yard because they're one of the only things the deer won't eat. However, they haven't started really producing yet, so while I wait for my artichokes to grow I decided to share with you some of the history I discovered about artichokes, as well as some of my favorite ways to eat them. Artichokes have a long history as a medicinal food, and for this reason, I'll give you a little bit of that background.

The ancient Greeks and Romans both considered artichokes

a delicacy and a medicine. They were thought of as a "food for the rich" because they combat the illnesses that combat a "rich" lifestyle-excessive fats and alcohol. Studies today have shown that artichokes are excellent for the liver and are also one of the best sources of antioxidants. Because of their bitter nature, artichokes stimulate bile which helps your body break down fats, and helps your liver perform optimally.

Artichokes are also considered an aphrodisiac and have a long history as an "erotic" food. In the 1800's it was forbidden for French women to eat artichokes because they were believed to "warm the genitals" excessively. I also read a juicy story about the "artichoke wars" which happened in the 1920's, when a member of the New York maffia created a monopoly on the artichoke market by purchasing all the artichokes that were shipped to New York from California. He created a produce company and resold all of the artichokes at a higher profit. He then began terrorizing distributors and produce merchants; he even launched an attack on the fields in California- hacking down the plants with machetes in the dead of night! The mayor of New York, Fiorello La Guardia was forced to declare "the sale, display, and possession" of artichokes illegal. He then, however, publicly admitted that he him self loved the vegetable and after only a week he lifted the ban.

Choosing an artichoke

When buying artichokes you should look for fresh,

tightly bound leaves. A trick is to squeeze the artichoke and if it gives a little squeak it means it's fresh. It is very important to buy organic artichokes because conventional artichokes are heavily sprayed. Don't worry about the blackness that sometimes occurs on the leaves- this is just from frost and won't affect the taste in any way. The easiest way to prepare artichokes is steamed. Here is a basic recipe:

To steam an artichoke

First wash the artichokes in cold water. Next trim the end of the stalk (but leave it long if it’s still attached- this is almost as delicious as the heart). Use a sharp knife to cut ½- ¾ of an inch of the top of the artichoke- creating a flat top. This is helpful for steaming, as it allows the steam to more easily penetrate the leaves. It also removes most of the potentially prickly spines. Rub the cut parts of the artichokes with half a lemon. This keeps the artichoke from turning brown.

Place the artichokes in a steamer with water- stems face up. Add quite a bit of water. Add a little squeeze of lemon to the water and bring the water to a boil.

Steam, covered for 20-50 minutes, depending on the size of the artichoke. Keep checking to see if the artichoke is done by either poking the hearts with a sharp knife to see if it’s soft or gently tugging at one of the leaves (be careful not to burn yourself)- if it comes out easily, then the artichoke is done. Always drink your artichoke cooking water! It is delicious and filled with nutrients!

Artichokes can be eaten with a variety of sauces and condiments-different flavored oils, mustard, vinegar, garlic, tahini, etc. One of my favorite ways to eat artichokes is to dip the leaves in a sauce of tahini, olive oil, lemon and garlic. The raw heart and stem can also be eaten in salads.

Garlicky Roasted Baby Artichokes

Baby artichokes are great to eat because they don’t have chokes (the fuzzy inside) so once you remove the tough outer leaves, you can eat the whole thing!

Around 2-3 pounds baby artichokes- pick the ones with the longest stems (these are almost as delicious as the hearts!)

½ a lemon

¼ cup to ½ cup olive oil

10 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped.

1 tablespoon chopped rosemary

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Boil a large pot of water. Meanwhile, prep the artichokes by trimming any brown off the stems. Cut off the top touch part of the leaves- the top ½ inch or so. Then pull off the touch outer leaves- leaving the soft, lighter green inside. If they are fairly small you can leave them whole- if they are slightly bigger, cut them in half lengthwise Immediately place the trimmed artichokes in a bowl of lemon water to keep them from turning brown.

Simmer the artichokes for about 7-8 minutes, then drain.Toss the artichokes with the rest of the ingredients and put in a baking dish or baking sheet- single layer. Bake for close to 10 minutes.

Globe Artichokes with Angelica’s Sauce

(This recipe is from one of my favorite cookbooks- In Season by Sarah Raven. She proclaims this recipe as her favorite in the book- so while I have never tried it, I’m sure it’s amazing)

1-2 small artichokes or 1 large per person

Sauce:

4 large, hard cooked eggs- shelled removed

1 very large munch of soft green herbs- half flat- leaf parsley and the rest a mix of chives, fennel, dill and or cilantro- or any of these.

2 cans anchovy fillets, drained and finely chopped

1 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

black pepper.

Cook your artichoke in boiling, slightly salted water for 40 minutes (reserve this liquid to drink later). Drain them and give them a squeeze to get out excess water.

Roughly chop the ingredients for the sauce. Mix everything together with the oil and vinegar in a large bowl. You won’t need much salt because of the anchovies but add plenty of pepper. Give everyone an artichoke or two on a plate with enough room for a good dollop of sauce.

According to an Aegean legend, the first artichoke was a beautiful young girl who lived on the island of Zinari. The god, Zeus was visiting his brother Poseidon one day when, as he emerged from the sea, he spied a beautiful young mortal woman. She did not seem frightened, and Zeus seized the opportunity to seduce her. He immediately became so infatuated with the girl, whose name was Cynara that he decided to make her a goddess so that she could be nearer to his home on Mt. Olympus. Cynara was excited at the prospect of being a goddess, and agreed to go live near him. Whenever his wife Hera was away Zeus would go to Cynara. But Cynara soon grew homesick and began sneaking back to the world of mortals for visits. When Zeus discovered she was sneaking away from him, he was furious. Enraged, he hurled her back to earth and transformed her into the plant we know as the artichoke- hence it's latin name Cynara scolymus.

To this day, Artichokes possess a divine, sensuous quality for many. Perhaps this sensuousness is because they are the only vegetable that is actually the bud of a flower. Or maybe it’s because the extra work of eating an artichoke makes them taste that much sweeter. Or maybe it is simply because they have hearts.

Morning Miso

According to Japanese mythology, miso is a gift to mankind from the gods to assure lasting health, longevity, and happiness.

Six months ago I began eating soup for breakfast in an in an effort to solve the digestive problems I'd been having. As soon as I started eating soup in the morning, all my problems went away. Having revolved around elaborate breakfasts of eggs and grains for most of my life, this was a huge change for me, but since the first day of trying miso for breakfast, I haven't gone back. Nothing makes me feel as good as miso soup in the morning. From an Ayurvedic perspective, this makes sense, since agni (one's digestive fire) is generally small in the morning and needs to be "stoked" with a small, easily digested meal that acts as kindling to the fire.

The idea of soup in the morning may not sound very appealing, but I encourage you to try it and see how you feel. To most people (at least in the US), breakfasts are usually sweet (from the ayurvedic perspective, this including things like toast, cereal etc.) Much of the world eats a savory breakfasts consisting of mostly vegetables. Even if you don't want to give up pancakes and eggs, you can still make this soup any time- it's quick and versatile and so delicious. This soup only takes about 10 minutes to make and can be made with almost any vegetables you have on hand.

Miso is a food that has been eaten for centuries in Japan. It has is usually made from soybeans and either rice or barley, which is then mixed with seasalt and the koji culture, but can also be made from various other grains and legumes. Unpasteurized miso is a living food that is filled with digestive enzymes which ward off harmful organisms, creating a healthy digestive system.

I use white miso paste because it has a mellower, softer quality than the darker pastes, but experiment and see which ones you like. Miso made from garbanzo beans, is especially good as well. But don't use the instant miso packets, because miso is a living, fermented food and it loses most of its healthful qualities in the dried form. Many health food stores sell miso in bulk, but make sure it is unpasteurized and organic. One of the best makers is South River Miso.

This can be made with almost any vegetables you desire. Every morning the soup I make is completely different from the morning before. I often find that the fewer vegetables the better. Also, experiment with different ways of chopping the vegetables as well. To the Japanese, in order to completely nourish you, food needs to be beautiful as well as delicious. If it's not beautiful, you will never feel "full". I use the moments chopping the vegetables as a sort of meditation. And I always try to leave enough time to sit down and eat in a peaceful way. Here is just one possible version- this serves two.

RECIPE:
1 tbsp ghee or olive oil
1/2 a leek
1 carrot
1 stalk celery
1/4 cup wakame soaked
1/2 avocado for garnish
miso (the amount varies depending on the strength of the miso. Usually its about 1 tsp- 1 tbsp per serving).
3 cups water or vegetable stock
cilantro for garnish
a dash of black sesame seeds

Put the wakame in water to soak for a few minutes. Heat the oil or ghee and add the leeks (meanwhile chop the other vegetables). Add the rest of the vegetables and cook a few minutes more. Add the water or stock and wakame and cook about 8 minutes more, or until the vegetables are soft.

Then in a small bowl, mix the miso and a small bit of the warm broth, stir with a spoon until the paste dissolves, adding more liquid if necessary. Add the rest of the soup to the miso. (boiling miso kills the beneficial enzymes.) Top the soup with the avocado, cilantro and sesame seeds and enjoy.

I believe that miso belongs to the highest class of medicines, those which help prevent disease and strengthen the body through continued usage.... Some people speak of miso as a condiment, but miso brings out the flavor and nutritional value in all foods and helps the body digest and assimilate whatever we eat... —Dr. Shinichiro Akizuki,

Pt Reyes Wild Mushroom Soup

I spent the past weekend at the Pt. Reyes Hostel. Needless to say, I showed up with a tremendous amount of food- more than enough to feed all of the guests staying there.

This is one of the recipes that emerged......an inspiration made with Peter- a
pu erh drinking, circus performer living in the French alps and Daniel, a Kentucky native with sparkling blue eyes in the midst of a skateboarding journey to South America.

We ate it with a warm, crusty sourdough baguette, and a fig and ricotta insalata salad.

RECIPE:
1/2 yellow onion chopped
2 shallots chopped
2 tablespoons butter or ghee
4-5 stalks diced celery
2 pounds various mushrooms- chantrelles and morels are my favorite, but unless you can find them wild (and they are popping up right now), you might want to do more crimini, portobello, etc. - chopped
4 cups vegetable stock
1 potato diced in small cubes
1 tablespoon thyme (dry or fresh- use more is using fresh)
salt and pepper
some dry white wine
parsley chopped for garnish
white truffle infused olive oil (optional)

Saute the onions and shallots for a few minutes, then add celery and potato, saute a few more.

Add all of the chopped mushrooms and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes more, or until some off the liquid has cooked off.

Add the stock, and spices, cook 15-20 minutes more.

Garnish with parsley and a drizzle of white truffle oil......(I didn't have truffle oil when I made this, but the whole time I was eating the soup, I wished for it.)

This would also be good with wild rice instead of potato, and also cream makes any soup heartier-although I would imagine it might detract from the mushroomieness.....