Artichoke?

It's been a long winter of CSA squash and collards. And soon our CSA will start up again, probaby with more greens to start with. In the meantime, I stuck wandering the grocery store produce section with the power to choose my own vegetables.

Lately, I've been roasting asparagus with olive oil, salt and pepper. Eggplant gets baked with tahini. And this week, I have artichokes and have absolutely no idea how to cook them.

I remember my mother steaming the leaves, serving them with butter (I mostly sucked the butter off) and chopping the hearts into salads. But how long do you steam an artichoke? And how do you get to the center?

CSA Pasta

The only downside I can see to CSAs is the fact that you often receive the same vegetables for week after week, and it can get tiring to think up new and different ways to use up that eggplant and green peppers sitting in your crisper. However, once a week, I have a group of friends over for dinner, each with their own cooking tastes, and it turns all recipe creations into a committee decision and brings in an infusion of fresh ideas. Last night's pasta sauce was one of our best efforts.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in skillet over medium heat, while cutting...
1 medium eggplant, quartered lengthwise, then thinly sliced
Sautee in pan, covered, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes while preparing...
2 green bell peppers, coarsely chopped
2 small or 1 large onions, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
Add to uncovered pan and sautee until softened. Then stir in...
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
4 sliced roasted red peppers
2 tbsp sugar
salt & pepper to taste

We served it over whole wheat pasta, and grated cave-aged raw gruyere over top of it all.

It was enjoyed by all, including B.C.




He was particularly partial to the noodles.

(No, I did not actually feed my dog garlic & onions, as I know they are poisonous to him.)

Crockpot Baigan Bhartha

I realized that I never followed up last week on one of my favorite crockpot dinners. I adore Indian food (as you can see by my choice of last dinner) but it takes so long to cook it right, that I started experimenting with putting it all in a crockpot. I think I finally have a close approximation to baigan bhartha, that's fabulous on grey days. Last time I also threw in 2 bell peppers that I had in my crisper, you could also add in zucchini or squash, but just eggplant is also heavenly. I typically do veggie chopping the night before, then the morning of, pop the insert in the cooker and add whole spices. Ground spices are best when added in the last hour or so of cooking. Also, I strongly dislike adding fresh garlic, as it tastes bitter after stewing all day.

1 lrg or 2 med eggplants, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes

Layer all veggies in crockpot, then pour tomatoes over everything. Add...
1 tbsp whole cumin
1 tsp whole mustard seed
1 tsp fennugreek seeds
2 tbsp butter

Cook on low for 8-9 hours. Then add...
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
salt to taste

Adjust heat to high and cook for 30 more minutes. That's the perfect time to cook some rice, or take the dog for a quick walk before heating some naan. Makes 4-6 servings.