We Have Winners! And for Everyone Else, a Veggie That Makes a Meal What’s cooking? Artichokes and Dipping Sauces

Before I spend a moment more holding you in eager anticipation, let me announce the winners. The drawing was a somewhat informal affair, but totally legit as monitored by my husband the lawyer. And if you’re not one of the lucky two, keep reading, as I have a great method for cooking artichokes, as well as some terrific dipping sauces.

The winner of the Hamilton Beach Six-Speed Stand Mixer is...

And the winner of the Hamilton Beach Six-Speed Hand Mixer is...

Congratulations to both of you! I’ll be contacting you separately to get an address for the Hamilton Beach people to send your prize. 

* * *

And now...

“Do we have a cooler we can take on this trip?” I asked my husband. We were preparing for our annual journey north to New Jersey for the summer, only this time, we were driving.

“We have one, but why do we want it on this trip?” he replied, notes of skepticism hanging heavily in the air.

“For the artichokes.”

And that pretty much ended the conversation.

Here’s what I was thinking. We’d be spending 26 hours in a car over 2-3 days, and if I didn’t pack some real food, it’d be potato chips and Doritos and Big Macs all the way there. Not that that’s a bad thing, but I like to at least pretend to eat healthy. Plus, I hate throwing away food, and it’s really hard to ask a friend if she wants leftover roasted carrots or that piece of steak from dinner the night before last. Or the rest of the creamed fennel I experimented with the day before we left. It was really tasty, but not necessarily gift-worthy.

And as I considered the two-day trip with my hubby, the romantic in me conjured visions of us picnicking at a rest stop on some scenic byway in Arkansas or a bucolic stretch of the Blue Ridge Mountains. But as is too often my habit, I stayed up most of the night readying the house for our absence (like we’re having visitors?), ironing (I know, let’s not even talk about it), and preparing the food for travel. So I spent the first day on the road sleeping, and the second day it rained the whole way.

In the end, we arrived in New Jersey with most of the food still in the coolers. Yes, I needed two of them. Don’t ask. On the plus side, we had artichokes for dinner the day after we arrived.

Which brings me to those delectable veggies. Like my mother, I used to just boil artichokes in plain water. I’d dip the leaves in mayonnaise or melted butter, and I loved them that way. Then I discovered seasoning, and I’d add garlic salt to the water, and maybe a bay leaf. But I still needed that mayo or butter. So in that constant quest to get thinner, I decided to experiment a bit with the cooking medium, to see if I couldn’t get more flavor, less dipping sauce. With this preparation, you hardly need sauce. Then again, why not? So while I was at it, I played around with sauces, too.

Most artichokes are green; these purple beauties, called Violetto or Purple of Romagna, quickly disappeared from my grocery store.

A Note about Artichokes: According to the Wikipedia folks, the antioxidant level in artichoke flower heads (mostly in the pulp of the leaves) is the highest of any vegetable. Artichokes reduce cholesterol levels by raising the ratio of HDL to LDL. They also help with digestion through a beneficial effect on gut bacteria, ameliorating symptoms of dyspepsia and irritable bowel syndrome. Amazing that something so tasty can be so good for you.

Herbed Artichokes

To serve two.

2 large artichokes
1 lemon, halved
1 garlic clove, sliced in half
2 tablespoons salt
a hefty sprig of thyme

Cut the stems of two large artichokes level with the base of the bulbs. Remove small leaves from the base of the artichokes, and, using kitchen shears, trim the sharp tips of the leaves, up to about ½ inch from the top. With a sharp knife, cut off the top ½ inch of the artichoke.

Slice a ¼-inch round from one of the lemon halves. Squeeze the juice from the smaller half into a bowl of water and soak the trimmed artichokes in it while you wait for the cooking water to boil.

Fill a 4.5-quart Dutch oven with 2 quarts of cold water. Add the lemon slice and the juice from the remaining lemon half. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.

Hmmm... where did that lemon slice go?

Once the water boils, add the artichokes (base down – though they won’t likely stay that way) to the water and boil 45-50 minutes, or until you can pierce the base easily with a knife. Alternatively, you can pull one of the larger leaves off and taste it for tenderness.

When done, drain the artichokes (base up) in a colander for 5-10 minutes. Serve with your choice of dipping sauce or sauces. Artichokes can be served hot or chilled, depending on your preference. The Kitchen Goddess has occasionally served an artichoke with dipping sauce as one of the hors d’oeuvres at a dinner party. Just be sure to leave out a bowl for discarding the leaves.

There’s a huge range of possibilities for dipping sauce, including melted butter, vinaigrette dressing, mayonnaise, and hollandaise. From past posts, I can recommend Roasted Red Pepper Aioli, Tangy Mustard, or Herbed Buttermilk Ranch Dressing. Or try one of these four.

From bottom, moving clockwise: Aioli, Roasted Garlic Sauce, Lemon-Thyme Butter, Herbed Mayonnaise.

Traditional Aioli

Adapted from Gourmet, September 2002

2 cloves garlic
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
¾ teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, canola oil, or grapeseed oil
additional salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Using a chef’s knife or a fork, mash the garlic to a paste with the salt. (If you’re not sure how to do this, here’s a nice video.) Set aside.

In a small but deep bowl, whisk together the yolk, lemon juice, and mustard. Combine the oils in a measuring cup and drizzle slowly into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly. Once the mix emulsifies, you can add oil more rapidly; if the mixture separates or isn’t emulsifying, stop adding oil and whisk until it comes together in a mayonnaise consistency. If it becomes too thick, whisk in a few drops of room temperature water.

Add the garlic paste and another ⅛ teaspoon salt, and whisk to combine well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Kitchen Goddess note: You can make this in a food processor, especially if you’re making a larger amount. For a single recipe, the Kitchen Goddess think that’s way more trouble in the clean-up category than it’s worth, as the whisking takes very little time. But if you’re doubling or tripling the recipe, start by puréeing the garlic with the salt in the food processor. Add the yolk, lemon, and mustard, then while the machine is running, drizzle the oil in slowly.

Roasted Garlic Sauce

1 bulb garlic
2 tablespoons mayonnaise (or light mayonnaise)
2 tablespoons sour cream (or yogurt)
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Start by roasting the garlic. Remove as much of the papery outer skin as you can, while still leaving the individual cloves covered. Slice enough of the top off the head to expose the individual cloves. Trim the base of the bulb just so that the bulb sits flat, and set it in an ovenproof dish. Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil over the bulb, and sprinkle on a pinch of kosher salt. Cover the dish and bake in a 400º oven for 40-45 minutes. (Alternatively, you can wrap the bulb in aluminum foil to bake)

When the garlic is done and cooled, squeeze the cloves out and, using a fork or the flat part of a chef’s knife, work them into a paste. Combine the mayonnaise and sour cream, and add the garlic. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Chill, covered, until ready to serve.

Herbed Mayonnaise

Adapted from Bon Appétit, April 2008


½ cup low-fat mayonnaise
⅓ cup chopped fresh herbs (I used half parsley, half dill)
2 tablespoons chopped capers, drained
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until well blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Lemon-Thyme Butter

Adapted from marthastewart.com

1 stick unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, minced
juice of ½ lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a small microwaveable bowl. Allow to sit at least 30 minutes for flavors to combine. Reheat before serving.

Valentine Soup What’s cooking? Mushroom Artichoke Soup

My mother wasn’t much of a cook. She got dinner for us most nights, and it always tasted good, but it wasn’t her thing. She was an artist, much more interested in oil paint than oil from olives. Of course, olive oil in those days was a truly exotic substance that you probably couldn’t even find in many U.S. grocery stores. As I recall, Mom might have had olive oil in the pantry, but I don’t think she used it often.

She grew up in a household that always had help, so no one ever took her aside and said, “Virginia Lee, let me teach you how to roast a chicken.” Like many of us (like me, in fact, as she never took me aside for any cooking lessons either), she learned by trial and error. Then the food industry noticed her plight, and – voilá – convenience foods appeared! TV dinners, Minute Rice, Cheez Whiz, and instant mashed potatoes. To hear her talk, these were gifts from God as much as from Procter & Gamble. Her best friend, Joan, came to visit us one summer at the beach and swore it was the only vacation she’d ever taken when she actually lost weight.

To Mom’s credit, her chicken soup remains a staple of my own kitchen, and she could stir up a mean mess of pinto beans or gumbo. And she yearned to be sophisticated, so my brother and I were introduced early to raw spinach salad, fresh mushrooms, chicken liver pâté, and fresh artichokes. I grew up loving those foods.

White Button Mushrooms

So when I came across a recipe for a mushroom artichoke soup, it struck all sorts of chords in my sensory memory. Never mind that what purported to be a recipe turned out to be missing any sort of flavoring or detailed instructions. Too late – I was already hooked.

I forged ahead, considering the flavors that would marry well with mushrooms and artichokes, and the cooking techniques I already use with both. Though it was more work than I expected, it’ll be easier and less time-consuming for you because you don’t have to think as much as I did.

Chanterelles

The result was spectacular. Like a walk in the woods on a damp spring morning, with the sun peeking through the leaves. The rich meatiness of the different mushrooms brought out both sweet and savory tastes, in a broth mildly flavored with the creamy, buttery artichokes. The quartered hearts and sautéed mushrooms became a nice visual accent. A triumph!

A triumph, yes, but an expensive one, as the more exotic mushroom varieties can really run up your tab at the grocery store. Those are the really weird types, too, so be brave – you won’t notice the weirdness once they’re all chopped up together. The Kitchen Goddess recommends one quart of only white button and crimini mushrooms; the second quart can be a mix of whatever else is available at your grocer’s, and when your wallet starts whining, fill in the second quart with more criminis and buttons. Shiitakes tend to be reasonably priced as well. The folks at Whole Foods usually have a decent selection, and a broader variety in your mix of mushrooms will give a more complex flavor to the soup. The photos here cover the range I used.

Alba Mushrooms

This is a great soup for guests or your Valentine – very elegant. My guests raved, as did my Valentine. Serve it with a salad dressed with a light lemon or herbal vinaigrette, and a crusty loaf of French bread.

Mushroom Artichoke Soup

Serves 8.

2 artichokes [Kitchen Goddess shopping note: Look for artichokes with deep green color and a heavy feel. Squeeze the artichoke – the leaves should squeak when you do. Avoid ones whose leaves have split.]
6 cups good quality chicken or vegetable broth, divided
¼ cup dry white wine
1 large bay leaf
juice of ½ lemon
½ teaspoon garlic salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large shallots, minced
2 quarts (64 ounces) fresh mushrooms, in a variety (e.g., those shown here, plus oyster, morel, hen-of-the-woods – whatever looks good)
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 cans organic artichoke hearts, quartered
salt/pepper to taste

For the artichoke broth:
To prepare the artichokes, first remove the small leaves from the base. Cut off the stems and peel away the tough outer layers of the stems. Then, using scissors, trim the thorny leaf tips. Cut the artichokes into quarters, and with a knife or a spoon (a melon baller also works), remove the hairy “choke” at the center of the artichoke.

Black Trumpet Mushrooms

To a large (4-quart) saucepan, add 4 cups of the broth, the wine, bay leaf, lemon juice, and the garlic salt. Stir to combine. Add the artichokes and stems. (Be sure to use a stainless-steel, enameled, or other nonreactive pot when cooking artichokes to prevent discoloration or off flavors.) Bring to a boil, cover, and cook at a low boil for one hour.

For the mushrooms:

Shiitake Mushrooms

Best method for cleaning your mushrooms is to set a colander into a large bowl of water. Put the mushrooms into the colander and swish them around energetically to loosen the dirt, then lift the colander out of the water, leaving behind the debris. Quickly turn the mushrooms out onto tea towels and lightly rub or pat them clean/dry with paper towels or another tea towel. The mushrooms should spend the least possible time in the water.

Set aside about 8 ounces of the best looking button or crimini mushrooms for the garnish. For the rest, trim stem ends and coarsely chop the mushrooms, then – in batches – pulse them in a food processor until not quite finely chopped.

Crimini Mushrooms

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter and the oil. Sauté the shallots until softened, 3-4 minutes. Add the chopped mushrooms and sauté, stirring often, until the mushrooms are softened and the liquid is released, about 20 minutes. Set aside.

For the soup:
When the artichokes are tender, remove them from the broth and reserve the broth. Discard the bay leaf.

French Horn Mushroom

Here’s the laborious part. Remove the leaves from the hearts and, using a fork or spoon, scrape as much of the meat off the leaves as you have the temperament for. Add the meat back into the broth, along with the hearts and the stems. Using a potato masher or a ricer, mash the flesh, and strain the broth and flesh through a fine mesh sieve. Discard the solids. What you’ll have left is a rich, greenish broth with tiny bits of artichoke in it.

Combine the artichoke broth, the mushroom mix, and the remaining 2 cups of vegetable or chicken broth. Add the tarragon and the parsley. Gently stir in the canned, quartered hearts and bring to a simmer. Salt/pepper to taste.

While the soup is coming to a simmer, trim and quarter the mushrooms you set aside for garnish. In a small skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to almost smoking, and sauté the mushrooms until the juices have cooked away and the mushrooms have browned. Stir them into the soup or sprinkle them on top of each serving.