RFCJ RECIPE ARCHIVE
Posted by : Karen Selwyn Turkish Artichokes - pareve
Some time before Passover, I came across a newspaper article which described a seder held in Nice, France. The article detailed the menu and by the time I got down to the bottom of the text, I could hardly wait to read the recipes. Much to my dismay, none were provided. I set off on a hunt in my cookbooks based on the descriptions of the recipes in the article, and did a good job tracking them down. In the days before Passover, I posted these recipes and they can be found in the archives. However, Turkish artichokes, a recipe which I imagined would be easy to find given my supply of Sephardic and international cookbooks kept eluding me. The missing dish was described as small artichokes simmered in lemon juice and honey. I kept perservering and I now have closure on that project. A Passover seder menu propelled me on my quest, however, this recipe has a great deal of timeliness with Lag B'Omer coming up on May 14. This holiday is celebrated with picnics, and Turkish artichokes would be a great picnic dish. It's pareve, it is supposed to be served at room temperature, and it can't spoil. Karen Selwyn * * * * * Turkish Artichokes juice of 1 lemon 1 teaspoon salt 8 small artichokes 16 small white onions, peeled 1 cup olive oil juice of 2 lemons 1/2 cup water 1 tablespoon honey 1 teaspoon salt freshly ground pepper 1 tablespoon fresh dill, minced lemon wedges for granish additional fresh minced dill for garnish Begin preparation of this dish no later than the morning of the day you wish to serve it, although overnight marination is preferable. Combine 1 teaspoon salt with 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan. Heat and stir until salt is dissolved. Allow mixture to cool. Combine juice of the first lemon, cooled salty water and additional water in a bowl large enough to hold all eight artichokes. Prepare artichokes by slicing off the stem. Snap off the petals until only the heart remains. Scoop out the hairy choke. Drop each of the artichoke hearts in the bowl with the salt and lemon. When all the artichokes are prepared, remove them from the water, blot dry and place in a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Add the remaining ingredients except for the garnish items. Cover the saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, approximately 30-45 minutes. Allow the artichoke mixture to cool and refrigerate. Chill, covered, until approximately 1 hour before serving. Serve sprinkled with additional minced dill and lemon wedges. Adapted from "Turkish Artichokes" in Paula Peck's THE ART OF GOOD COOKING.
