Grilled Garlic Artichokes - No Need for Mayo

You know spring has sprung when it’s time to for artichokes. And a great way to cook artichokes once the weather gets warm is by grilling them. My husband loves eating artichokes with mayo, but with this recipe you can skip the mayo and eat them with the leftover basting sauce.

Photo found on: Remarkably DomesticIngredients
Recipe adapted from AllRecipes.com

• 2 large artichokes
• 1 lemon - cut in quarted wedges
• 3/4 cup of olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic - chopped
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground lemon pepper

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high heat. Add the artichokes to boiling water, and cook for about 15 minutes and drain. Squeeze lemon wedges into a medium bowl. Stir in the olive oil and garlic, and season with salt and lemon pepper.

Brush the artichokes with a coating of the garlic dip, and place them on the preheated grill. Grill the artichokes for about 10 minutes, basting with the dip and turning frequently, until the tips are a little charred. Serve immediately with the remaining dip.

My Father's Daughter - Cookbook

Gwyneth Paltrow came out with her very own cookbook dedicated to her late father, Bruce Paltrow, called "My Father's Daughter: Delicious, Easy Recipes Celebrating Family & Togetherness." I am usually skeptical of celebrity-endorsed or written books - especially when they have to do with food, but after reading many reviews and receiving her Goop newsletter I must say I might actually pick this one up.

The cookbook has over 150 recipes for everything from ideas for breakfast, sandwiches and burgers, soups, salads, main dishes, sides, and desserts, and also includes full-color photos throughout, many featuring Paltrow at home with her family and friends.

Since I do receive her newsletter, I received a few recipes she tried out at her book release family-style dinner party, as well as, a recipe that is also featured in her book for slow roasted tomatoes below.

Photos and Recipe found on GOOP.com

Slow Roasted Tomatoes

• Vine-ripened tomatoes
• Olive oil
• Salt

Preheat the oven to 275°F.

Cut the tomatoes in half horizontally, rub with a tiny bit of olive oil and a pinch of salt, and bake, seed side up, in a 275°F oven for 3–5 hours, or until they look nearly sun dried (the edges will be caramelized and the moisture will be almost entirely evaporated). These keep, well refrigerated in an airtight container with a bit of olive oil, for at least a week, so make a whole bunch at once.

Blackthorn Cider Sauerkraut

My husband and I were vegging out this weekend and watching "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" when his ear caught his favorite word - no, not my name, but Blackthorn Cider. Yes, my husband's favorite drink is Blackthorn Dry Cider that he tries to get every time we go to the local pub. So, he was super excited when he heard a recipe from the Elk Public House that uses his favorite drink as an ingredient in their Reuban sandwich. You can use the sauerkraut on Reubans, hot dogs, sausages, or just as a side dish in your next meal. You can find Blackthorn Dry Cider in most grocery stores like Trader Joe's.

Home-Made Sauerkraut
recipe from Elk Public House

Ingredients:

• 5-7 heads of cabbage
• 4 cups of Blackthorn Dry Cider
• 1 cup of malt Vinegar
• 1 cup of water
• 3 tablespoons of salt
• 2 tablespoons of pepper

Combine all the ingredients, mix well, cover and cook over meduim heat until soft.

Cooking Winter Greens

I was listening to NPR this morning and was inspired by the segment they had on farming and cooking winter greens. As soon as it stops raining, I am going to work on my garden and definitely start planting more winter greens like rainbow chard, mustard greens and kale.

The key to cooking greens they said is to allow them to keep their crunch, wilted greens aren't as tasty and don't retain the vitamins as they do when raw. Here is a simple recipe they discussed on the segment, you can also find it on the NPR site.

Maggie Starbard/NPRWilted Hardy Greens With Garlic
Ingredients:

• 1 pound of mixed baby greens (kale, swiss chard, mustard greens)
• 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive or sunflower oil
• 1 to 2 teaspoons of chopped garlic

Wash the greens and drain in a colander, leaving some moisture on the leaves. Heat a saute pan large enough to accommodate all of the greens over medium heat. Add oil, then the chopped garlic. Saute until softened, about 1 minute, stirring often to prevent the garlic from burning - don't let the garlic get brown. Add the greens. Toss and saute them until they are wilted. Season with salt and pepper. If too dry, add more liquid.

For more on farming winter greens, check out NPR's "Old-Time Methods Yield Spring Greens All Winter"

Polenta Fries with Basil Sea Salt

Try this side dish with your next veggie burger.

Recipe and photo from This Dish is Vegetarian, Sherry Duquet

Ingredients

• 1 18-ounce package of organic prepared Polenta
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• Cracked black pepper
• Basil sea salt to taste (crush and mix together 1 teaspoon of sea salt with 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh basil)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and unwrap the roll of polenta. Cut it in half and then cut those in half. Cut into slices that look like fries. Place your fries in a bowl and toss lightly with oil and spices. Lay out fries in a single layer on a baking sheet ans sprinkle with a bit more of the basil sea salt. Bake for 20 minutes and flip half way through so both sides brown. Take out fries and place on a paper towel and pat them dry with another to absorb any excess oil. Serve with marinara and garlic-caper aioli if desired.