wednesday, april 23rd, 2008

A few weekends ago I did something I vowed to never do ever since moving to New York and falling in love with The Yankees (the affection seeps into you and you have no control over it, similar to all the lovely smells that waft up from the subway as the temperatures rise). I went to a Mets game. Worse, I had a great time. It didn't hurt that I was with a group of a few dozen fun loving people who turned our multiple rows of seats into one giant beer, sausage and pepper, cotton candy laced party. I barely had time to watch the game between all the random acts of weirdness taking place and therefore, since I essentially didn't see it, I wonder if I can still claim that I have never attended a Mets game?

Probably not, but in the end I had so much fun that I feel my rule breaking was justified. Following the game we decided to go on an impromptu pub crawl of Queens. Our plan was essentially to not have a plan, unless you call hopping on the 7 train, getting off at every third stop and having a drink at the first bar we spotted a plan. Then we did indeed have a plan. We also decided that since it was our friend's birthday, we had to collect random gifts for him at the first stop.

As our giant group invaded the first neighborhood and everyone else searched for birthday gifts and a pub, I was fixated on the food vendors. In nearly every direction there were stalls spilling over with incredible offerings; tamales, black beans, fried plantains, tomatoes, tortillas, hot churros and what really did a number on me; glistening ears of golden corn on the cob baring some of the biggest kernels I've ever seen.

My favorite snack when I lived in Guatemala was the beautiful simplicity of a fresh ear of corn still in its husk handed to me hot and steaming at the farmer's market nestled into the heart of Antigua. Just before it reached my hand, the stall owner would spray it generously with juice from a fresh lime and then sprinkle it with a sparkling pinch of sea salt.

It was divine. Therefore, when i saw the corn on the cob on our pub crawl and spotted an overflowing bowl of limes next to it, I wanted nothing more than to sink my teeth into its sweet, honeyed goodness. After first thinking of how incredible it would taste, I then thought of the fact that I normally don't carry dental floss in my purse and debated the pros and cons of devouring this giant cob with its nearly freakishly large kernels. Pro: delicious. Con: spend the next several hours slurping on my teeth in an attempt to extract the corn that would inevitably become jammed between them.

Unfortunately, on this trip, aesthetics won out and I decided not to indulge, in the corn that is, margaritas and beer are another story. It did remind me though, as the weather warms and the sun maintains it's brilliant spot in the clear blue spring sky that it is now my favorite season; farmer's market season. I vowed to myself that the day following my debauchery fueled party of liquor and baseball, I would march to my local farmer's market straightaway and load up on all the goodness I knew I would find there.

In case you're interested, birthday boy walked away with quite a collection of useless loot including a hula hoop, princess crown, a banner that read "Feliz Navidad" because they were out of "Feliz Cumpleanos" and my personal favorite, a six inch tall resin owl that became the impromptu mascot of the day. It was a perfect spring day of baseball (albeit the wrong team), margaritas and the exploration of new neighborhoods and while I had a great time, I couldn't stop thinking about my visit to the farmer's market the following morning.

Since corn is not yet in season, I opted for an overflowing bag of fresh green artichokes. They can present quite a headache in the preparation stage but the effort is always worth it when scraping the first nutty bite bite from its petal and its silkiness hits the tongue. At that moment, the preparation headache subsides and is replaced by the simple joy of slowly devouring this well earned beauty. From babies to adults, royal amethyst to fern green, I love artichokes. To read more about them along with a step by step photo instructional guide for how to clean baby artichokes, visit here.

To prepare my first farmer's market fresh artichokes of the season I opted for something a little more interesting than a simple steamed choke paired with a dipping sauce. Instead, I cut the top off of the choke and extracted its thistly interior before steaming.

This preparation creates an ideal bowl to hold all manner of things. Here, I've filled it with a warm rice and double smoked hardwood bacon and walnut salad but feel free to get creative. The German style bacon from Schaller and Weber is a work of art. It's dry cured and slow smoked in a German farmhouse style which lends it a deep earthy smokiness. Of course, if you can't get your hands on it, any style bacon will do but don't pass it up if you ever see it at the butcher or supermarket as it adds such an incredible element of smoky goodness to virtually anything from omelettes to soups.

I used forbidden rice as I love its jeweled amethyst color, toothsome texture and toasty flavor. As with the bacon, any rice would work such as wild rice or basmati but make it your motto to never pass up forbidden rice as it adds such elegance and unique color to any dish, even the most tired amongst them.

I like serving things in artichokes as it delivers a two chapter meal. The first is the filling but then, just when you think you're done, you're left with the artichoke itself and it's fun to deconstruct your bowl by peeling the petals off and savoring their sweet, nutty goodness.

So while I'm still pining for my first juicy corn on the cob with lime juice and sea salt of the season and am still racked with a bit of Mets guilt, my stuffed artichoke, and most especially, my first visit to the farmer's market this season, have helped me forget my baseball crime and need for farm fresh corn. I owe you a debt of gratitude dear artichoke and, "Go Yankees!"

Walnut, Bacon and Rice Stuffed Artichoke
To steam the artichokes for this recipe, with a serrated knife cut about three inches off from the top of each choke. With a spoon, dig out the interior portion of the choke that has the texture of a thistle. Feel around the interior surface after the core has been extracted and remove any additional portions with a prickly texture. Artichoke petals can have a sharp thorn on them and if desired, using a kitchen scissors, snip off the tips of the petals and discard. Set up a steamer with salted water and bring it to a boil. Once the water is at a rolling boil, steam the chokes covered for about twenty minutes or until they are tender and have turned a deeper shade of green.

4 large artichokes, steamed
2 cups cooked rice, forbidden rice if it's available
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium sized onion, medium dice
1 cup thick cut bacon, cut into half inch sized cubes
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 medium sized tomato, medium dice
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped finely
3 tablespoons basil in chiffonade, plus additional for garnish
1/8 cup shredded parmesan cheese, plus additional shaved ribbons for garnish

1. In a sauté pan, heat the olive oil and then add the onions. Sauté until soft and translucent. Add the bacon to the onions and sauté until the bacon is cooked through and slightly crispy. Add the garlic and cook for a minute more. Deglaze with the lemon juice, scraping up the bits of tasty goodness from the bottom of the pan and incorporating them into the mixture. Add the tomatoes and cook with the onions and bacon until they are soft and partially broken down. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

2. Add the cooked rice and stir into the onion bacon mixture until fully incorporated. Remove the pan from the heat and add the walnuts, basil and shredded parmesan. Mix well to combine.

to serve

3. Place a steamed artichoke on a plate and scoop a portion of the rice into the choke until it forms a round mound. Garnish with the basil and the parmesan ribbons. Repeat with the remaining three artichokes.

Yield: 4 stuffed artichokes