» Ginger

I scream…

Hot weather begs for ice cream, don’t you think? And if you find yourself in the camp that cannot say no to trying every flavor you find in your freezer, then this recipe is going to be right up your alley.

Sometime last year, I found this ridiculously easy recipe for an ice cream cake. The premise was simple—find three ice cream flavors you like, smoosh them into a loaf pan and freeze them all together. Then, weather demanding, cut thick slices and try to devour before the heat takes you over. Suddenly, my mind started running wild with possibilities. See, I am that person who has to taste all of the ice cream flavors, even if I cannot commit to adding them to my bowl. And soon it was not just what flavors to pair, but what textures—ice cream and sorbet? Gelato and frozen yogurt? Start to do the math and you’ll see how quickly someone could get out of control with this scenario. The only thing holding me back was a size of my freezer.

But this summer, all of that has changed. I have a separate freezer that has a growing selection of flavors. And as the temperature began to climb, I couldn’t think of anything better to do with my growing supply than to make an ice cream cake. Over the course of a few attempts, my recipe has branched out to include a little bit of what I might have on hand—a leftover piece of cake, an overripe peach, the remaining tablespoons of caramel sauce. These are not problems, these are tasty additions to an ice cream cake.

Of course, there are consideration to be made for texture. If you end up adding too many things that will freeze solid, your cake is not going to be a joy to slice through. So keep your non-ice cream ingredients sliced thin and well-sandwiched between ice cream layers. If you choose to use fresh fruit, mash the berries or chop the fruit into small pieces. And don’t shy away from little flavor layers, chocolate and caramel sauce, especially homemade versions, are especially delicious in these cakes. For my cake, I used a layer of a crème fraîche gelato, along with a lemon custard ice cream. In addition, I added a layer of fresh peaches, a thin slice of leftover raspberry cake, as well as a few mashed raspberries.

And while it seems hard to imagine anything but some fresh fruit combination in the summer, I can’t help thinking about make my own slice of Blizzard heaven with some heavy dose of chocolate or candy. Maybe it is a caramel swirl ice cream and Skor bar bits, or chocolate and a layer of crushed Oreos. And I can’t help but think a thin layer of airy chocolate cake would freeze into something fudgy when layered with ice cream. Go on, tell me I’m crazy!

So without further ado, I leave you with a few ideas of how to put together your own magnificent ice cream cake. Just remember, there is no right and wrong in this recipe—just the flavor combination that speaks to you!

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Summer Ice Cream Slice

3 pints ice cream, your choice

Fresh fruit, optional

Chocolate or caramel sauce, option

Prepare a loaf pan by lining it with plastic wrap. Leave a bit of overhang so you can wrap the cake up once it is complete.

Soften ice cream for the bottom layer. Let sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes, or until it just starts to melt. Cut away the carton and slice the ice cream into three equal slices. Lay the ice cream in the pan and press to smooth it into an even layer. Return the pan to the freezer for about 15 minutes before starting on the next layer.

Repeat with the remaining layers, or add in additional toppings as you wish. Let the cake freeze for about 2 hours or overnight before serving.

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A few simple things…

We’re in the thick of summer here. Sunshine and blue skies followed by long, warm evenings, perfect for stargazing from the hammock. The daylight is starting to change a little with a golden hue that reminds me that we are in the midst of a fleeting season. Along with all of this goodness, the garden is starting to come together. Things are growing and beginning to tangle just a bit—the beans wandering into the peppers, the tall cavolo nero shading the little seedlings and the tomatoes, oh, the tomatoes. They can hardly contain themselves, arching over the beds and shading the pathway from six feet up.

It’s easy to get wrapped up with the fresh harvest with most meals. Oftentimes, all I can muster for dinner is a giant bowl of salad, plucked fresh from the garden or toted home from a market adventure. But sometimes in the midst of all this freshness, I crave a change of pace with something savory and cooked. And not just a little swish in the frying pan or bath of salty steam. This craving calls for an hour of gentle simmering on the back corner of the stove.

Actually, this dish is perfect for those late summer meals where you might have other things going on in the kitchen, but still want dinner. Since it requires little prep work, it pairs perfectly with a canner of peaches bubbling away or a small pot of apricot jam, just to name a few. This is one of those recipes that makes the most of precious little—quality ingredients and a little time. Mixed together, they yield the most delicious results.

Beans with tomato sauce

Adapted from Canal House, An Italian Summer

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1/2 pound, or 8 oz.,  fresh green beans, washed and trimmed

About 2 cups strained canned tomatoes, juice reserved

Two or three sprigs of fresh basil

1/4 cup olive oil, or thereabouts

Salt and pepper, to taste

Wash the green beans and the basil. Combine the tomatoes, beans, basil and olive oil in a medium pot with a tight fitting lid. Bring to a gentle boil before turning heat down to a simmer. Cover tightly and allow to cook for about one hour, stirring occasionally and adding the reserved tomato juice if the mixture begins to look to dry, you want it to be nice and saucy! Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve the beans, along with plenty of sauce. They are a perfect topping for pasta or go well alongside most anything else you might be serving.

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A sweet fruit cake…

It all started when I stumbled on the first raspberries of the season at the farmers market—little baskets of portable summertime. When I first sniffed at them, I was quite sure that I had just identified then next “it” scent. I grabbed a few baskets and carefully brought them home. Sometimes that is no easy task with a bike and a basket of market findings, but I do what I have to do! I had no specific plans, but sometimes you don’t need a plan with a few fresh berries. And when my afternoon of magazine browsing brought me to a certain raspberry cake recipe, everything came together.

Since then, I’ve made this cake a few times. One time with a mix of raspberries and tayberries, one time to share with friends and another time to with my boy. If there is an occasion for a summertime cake, this is the recipe to look to. And while I’ve been tweaking the recipe here and there, it is always a hit. I do expect that it could handle some improvising on the type of fruit added—blueberries, raspberries, blackberries—I think they’d all work just fine. And the little burst of citrus with the berries can do no wrong.

Raspberry Cake

From Sunset’s June 2012 issue

Don’t worry too much if you don’t have the lemon curd on hand. Replacing it with an equal amount of plain yogurt seems to do the trick!

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup lemon curd

Zest of one lemon

2 1/2 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

4 3/4 cups raspberries (about 18 oz.)

Powdered sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 325°. Butter a 9- by 13- inch baking pan. In a large bowl, beat butter and granulated sugar until fluffy with a mixer. Beat in eggs, salt, vanilla, yogurt, milk, lemon curd and zest of one lemon, until mostly blended.

Add flour, baking soda and baking powder to bowl and beat until smooth. Spread half of batter in pan and top with half of the raspberries. Carefully spread the remaining batter and top with the rest of berries.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. Mine took a few more minutes, but keep calm! If the cake begins to brown too quickly, tent with foil. Let the cake cool on a cooling rack for about 1 hour, then dust lightly with powdered sugar. Serve with a little whip cream or ice cream and fresh berries!

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The breakfast of champions

I’m pretty keen on breakfast. Going all the way back to the early days, oatmeal has always been a big part of my morning ritual. Though not always by my choice, it has been the grain of choice. But lately I’ve come around and embraced the goodness that is oatmeal. A warm bowl of oatmeal holds so many possibilities—sweet or savory, there are definitely options. Really, there is no reason to be bored with oatmeal.

Love it or not, summertime and hot oatmeal feels too stuffy. I want something a little fresher and cooler to start off my day. Right about now, something that plays off a bowl of fresh berries sounds just about right. And no, I’m not talking about ice cream! Enter the muesli…

Now I don’t have a lot of experience with muesli recipes, but this one is a good one. First off, it’s the perfect make-ahead breakfast for those on the go. Just throw a few things in a jar, pop it in the fridge and by morning, breakfast will be ready. I like to prep a little fresh fruit in the morning and I’m all set.

What’s more, this oatmeal has an amazing texture because of the chia seeds. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that if you don’t have chia seeds on hand, wait to make this until you can make that trip. Without them, the oatmeal doesn’t have nearly the same appeal.

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Adapted from Sarah Britton’s amazing blog

1 cup regular oatmeal

2 tablespoons chia seeds

2 tablespoons hemp seeds

1 cup milk (I’ve been using almond milk)

Stir together the oats, chia and hemp seeds. Add milk and stir well to combine. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Add additional milk to suit your preference. Combine with fresh fruit or yogurt for a perfect summertime breakfast!

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Favorite fava

Lately, I’ve had a little time on my hands. Watching the tour for a few hours every night has me sitting down, ready for any little task to keep busy with. And with the help of a few pounds of peas and a few more pounds of fava beans, I’ve already occupied a few evenings so far.

Both peas and favas have a very short season in the late spring and early summer. It always seems that just before I’ve had my fill of them, they are gone, not to return again for another year. Maybe there is some good in that—for all of its virtues, the asparagus season seems to last a little longer than my appetite for it and I’m left with a few wilty stalks tucked away in the back corner of my produce drawer. But that won’t be happening with the favas this year.

I found the favas at the market last weekend and quickly scooped up a few pounds. The peas in the garden have also been producing enough for some happy additions to our meals. So with a bag of pods, I got down to shelling. I know shelling is a tedious activity, but I like the quiet repetition of the task. And since I am not going to make anyone else join in, I think I can have my quirks on this one!

The tricky thing with favas is that they get shelled twice. I know, two rounds of shelling does sound a little arduous for a little bean, but I have devised a plan to make the effort worthwhile. This is one of those times when I go all out. I don’t just shell a few beans for one meal—I shell a few pounds. Yes, it takes a little while, but the beans keep nicely after their first shelling for a day or two. I tuck them away in a plastic bag in the fridge, let my fingers recover a little and start planning what I’ll make next.

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Once I have recovered my strength and decided what to eat, I usually blanche the favas for a few short minutes, then drain and cool them in an ice water bath. Then I get to shell them all over again, but since a day or so has pass, I don’t mind it so much. And the second shelling is usually a little easier. I’m still working on my technique, but it can be kind of tricky trying to get those little beans out of their shells while keeping them in one piece. But not to worry, over the course a few pounds of favas, there is plenty of time to get it figured out.

What remains is a lovely bowl of brilliant green beans, ready to be added into whatever is being cooked next. Toss the shelled favas into some boiling water with fresh peas and cook for a minute or two—delicious! Top a toasty piece of bread with a few mashed favas, seasoned as you wish, and enjoy. Or make a meal of it and throw the favas and peas into a pot of pasta that’s a minute or two from being cooked. Complete it with a poached egg, a little cheese and some fresh mint and it is a one-plate dinner. Quick—get shelling!

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Vive le Tour

Round about July, there is a great sense of excitement at our house. Summer is making itself known with long days and hot weather. The farmers market is bursting with goodness and the dahlias are just starting to bloom out back. The patio has finally come together and there is no better spot to spend a lazy afternoon. But at about this time every year, we pack it up and move indoors.

I know, it sounds a little crazy, but it’s a long-standing tradition around here. You see, for three weeks ever year, we become fervent followers of the Tour de France, which only happens to be one of the most prestigious cycling stage races in the world. Camped out on the living room floor, we watch the recap of a day’s worth of bicycle racing across the French countryside. We know the riders, we know the teams and after years worth of watching, I’m getting the hang of the strategy.

Usually, we watch the evening showing of the race. In France, the racing is long over of course, so the real challenge becomes staying out of the news long enough to be surprised by the results. Some of us do this better than others. But when we are talking about three hours of television viewing that starts at 5 p.m., dinner plans must be made. Thank goodness for technology and the addition of the DVR to our home! It makes cooking a little more fun at this time of year and now the days of the scorched pans of béchamel are behind me, I think!

Over the years, our tradition has evolved beyond just watching the tour. During this three-week stretch, I like to think about cooking along with the tour. Granted, my skills in french cooking are not very extensive, so I like to think about cooking in a french style, with plenty of fresh ingredients and who could forget the wine? Sometimes we’ll keep things simple with a light picnic meal—a baguette, some cheese and whatever else I might find in the pantry—a handful of cherries or juicy tomato. Other evenings I might get a little more inspired and whip up a soufflé or even a simple omelette to compliment something from the garden. But the first dish that ever made it onto our tour menu was the crepes. And every year since, they have been a hit.

Crepes might not be the first thing you think of when you’re trying to come up with something to eat for dinner, but they should be! While preparing the crepes does take a little prep work, the batter comes together in a flash. And talk about versatility, a batch of crepes will give you dinner and dessert! Now that got your attention, right?

We’ve all had our share of sweet crepes, rolled up around glossy berries or thick smears of nutella, happily topped with billows of fresh cream. But what about a savory crepe, filled with sautéed golden mushrooms, a simply scrambled egg with a sprinkle of Gruyère cheese or maybe even a handful of the earliest green beans, topped off with a spoonful of creamy sauce? These versions of the savory crepe are all summertime favorites around here. And happily for me, the beans are almost ready!

In case you were wondering, the Tour de France starts on Saturday, June 30, and runs for the next three weeks. And you can probably also guess what we’ll be making for dinner tonight!

Crepes

From Epicurious

The crepes from this recipes are as happy with sweet treats as they are with savory items, so don’t be afraid to plan a meal around them. Over the years, I’ve added a few pieces of crepe-making equipment—a pan, some flipping implements, etc., but overall, no special equipment is needed.

  • 1 1/3 cups whole milk, room temperature
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

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  • Extra butter, for cooking

Combine all ingredients and mix until smooth. Ideally, use a blender, but a mixer or a whisk will work equally well. Cover the batter and chill for 15 minutes, or up to one day.

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Place a thin sliver of butter in the pan. Let melt, then wipe the pan clean with a little bit of paper towel. Pour in just enough batter to coat the bottom of your pan and swirl gently until it reaches the edge. You might have to practice with this a bit until you figure out the right amount for your pan.

Cook the crepe until it looks set and the edge begins to slight brown, about one minute. Gently loosen the edges and flip the crepe over. Continue cooking until golden brown spots appear, about another minute.

Transfer the finished crepe to a plate and continue cooking the remaining crepes, buttering the pan as needed. Top with any fillings you wish. Cooked crepes will keep well for one day at room temperature.

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Strawberry frenzy

It was my birthday last week and I got a little caught up in the celebrations. The older I get, the more I have to celebrate, I guess. This cake was certainly a great way to celebrate another year. That’s all I have to offer by way of explanation since I haven’t been here for a little while. But since I last posted, strawberries have come in season here! And that right there is reason enough to celebrate.

I probably don’t need to tell you that I have a strong preference for local produce for all kinds of reasons. But in this case, my main concern is flavor. Of course, strawberries are pretty much available year round. But there is nothing that can compare to the bright red jewels that grow in backyard patches or local berry farms. These berries are almost always smaller and more fragile than the giant fruit that can be found at the store. But what they lack in size, they always make up for in flavor.

This year, I planted a really tiny row of strawberries, knowing they would do nothing to satisfy our enormous need for berries in the summer. Instead, I figured the few plants would provide a happy evening activity for my son and I. Most evenings he happily pokes through the plants, looking for berries that he figures are ripe enough to eat. And when we find a ripe one, we immediately pick it and eat it, crouching out there in the garden together. There might only be a few berries a night, all of which go to him, but it’s the most enjoyment I’ve ever had from a berry or two I don’t get to eat.

I’d been waiting anxiously for the local berry farm to start selling their berries—calling every few days for an update. And on the happy day that berries were in stock, I sent my mom out early in the morning to ensure we got our flat of strawberry goodness. During those first few days we managed to enjoy a full flat of berries every day or two. And while strawberries are a treat on their own, I had plenty of chances to try a few strawberry recipes I’d been saving up for just this time of year.

One of the first recipes that I reach for is one for strawberry shortcake from Bon Appetit. It has been in my recipe folder for a few years now and when the strawberries arrive, I stock up with cake flour, which I only seem to use at this time of year. So if you are running low on your supply, head for the store right now.

For some reason, I can’t seem to be won over by individual shortcakes. Try as I might, biscuits seem to scare me just a little. But this cake is an easy one to whip up and slice into thick wedges, just waiting to be spooned up with juicy red berries and a generous dollop of cream. And the crunchy sugar crust is something not to be missed. Don’t delay!

Strawberry Shortcakes

Adapted from Bon Appetit, May 2008

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
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1 ½ cups cake flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

4 ounces cream cheese (half package)

¼ cup (half stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

¾ cup whole milk

2 large eggs

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Zest of half a lemon

Preheat oven to 350º F. Spray a 9-inch cake pan with nonstick spray. Generously sprinkle the bottom and sides of the pan with sugar, tapping out any excess.

Whisk the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl. Use an electric mixer to beat 1 cup of sugar, cream cheese and butter in a large bowl. Whisk the milk, eggs, vanilla and lemon zest in another medium bowl to blend. Pour the milk mixture into the cream cheese mixture and beat to combine. Add the dry ingredients and beat until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and shake slightly to even out the batter. Sprinkle the top of the cake with the remaining tablespoon of sugar. Feel free to add a smidge more to give everything a nice coat.

Bake the cake until golden brown on top and a tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Allow the cake to cool before serving. Slice and serve with strawberries or other fresh berries. If you don’t eat it in one go, it keeps nicely covered at room temperature for a day or two.

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Tasting a Memory

Everyone has a dish or two that comes loaded with memory. Chances are that when you stop and think about it, there may be a whole handful of foods that fall into that category. Maybe it tastes like summer or reminds of a special event or time. Either way, you revisit it to remember that feeling or keep a tradition alive. Maybe it is an infrequent event—special ingredients are required or a lot of preparation is needed. Or maybe it is a weekly event—a special menu that is prepared no matter what.

I’ve got my fair share of those meals myself. There are plenty of food memories that come from my childhood, like the spaghetti dinners Tina talked about here, or the Friday night waffle routine that some of us still might be scarred by! But I don’t think that anyone is afraid of this springtime favorite. As a kid, I remember my mom making this dinner in the late spring with the freshest vegetables we had picked from the garden. And while I can’t speak authoritative of where this dish comes from, it seems to me that it might come from my mom’s side of the family. I think I’ve heard that my grandmother made this dish when my mom was a child.

God Zeus preferred mortal women and felt a free prescription for levitra visit for more info good attraction towards those beauties. Applying polarized microcurrents can re-establish the proper polarity patterns of the body, thus relieving physiologic levitra samples and psychological stress. If prices in uk viagra you are suffering premature male pattern baldness, which is a condition in which a man donates its healthy sperm for achieving the pregnancy. Also there are these terms that nobody understands. cialis generika view this link now, buy free cialis are some of the offers are prominently displayed on many ED pharmacy websites. I like to think of my grandmother sitting in the shade shelling handfuls of fresh peas, standing at the sink scrubbing small carrots and potatoes from the garden. And since this dish is completely reliant on the fresh produce, I don’t make it at any other time of year. Its infrequent appearance seems to make it all the more special. And, I always shell the peas by hand. I don’t think I’d have it any other way.

I am not quite sure if this should be called a soup or a stew. Or maybe it is more of a medley of spring vegetables in a cream sauce. Either way, I remember it being ladled out into bowls at dinnertime, finished with a generous sprinkle of dill. While I don’t remember if anything else came along with the vegetables as a kid, I’ve played with a few different variations in the years since. Sometimes the vegetable portions favor the potatoes, who can hold their own in this dish. Biscuits were a big hit last summer in a veggie-centric version of biscuits and gravy. On this particular evening, I went with a small pasta in hopes that it would be kid-friendly. This summer, I can’t wait to try a cornbread.  And with only a few days until the next farmers markets and the official start of summer, I can’t wait to try it again.

 

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Link Love

The Sound of Music may have had a significant role in my childhood, but I am not going to break out into song as I tell you about the lovely green hills out my back door. Every spring, I have this crazy wish to go drive through the countryside and soak in the green. The fresh color is fleeting and soon turns to golden yellow, then stubble. I do love the transition, but I think the spring green has to be my favorite.

Anyway, a week or two back, I convinced the powers that be to join me for a little picnic and country drive. I know, it is hard to argue with a picnic! And after a busy weekend of yard work and shrub planting, a little time away from the house was not a bad idea. We drove through some of the more quiet cycling routes around the valley. So beautiful!

Since I’ve been digging around in the yard and staying out of the kitchen, I thought I’d share a few links with you instead of a recipe this time. I hope you enjoy!

Round out your taco bar with one of these.

Drawing inspiration.

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Walla Walla Sweet onions are in season and I’ve been dying to try this.

I’ve already planted a few maple trees this week, but I wouldn’t mind adding one of these.

This salad is becoming a regular at our house.

Pondering life and rhubarb.

Oh, you have a sweet tooth, too? Check this out!

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The Artichoke Experiment

Artichokes are pretty plentiful right now and that is a good thing because I love them. My wish has been to have a plant of my own and this spring I almost committed to devoting a big section of garden to give it a try. But alas, the variety of everything else that I could likely grow in that space won out and artichokes will have to wait for another, more spacious, garden. And in the meantime the grocery store keeps me well stocked and I’m buying and eating them up! Steamed, braised or baked, artichokes are a happy addition to our meals.

One thing I can’t seem to find around here are the baby artichokes. Stop by a fresh market in any big city and you’ll likely find the baby artichokes sitting shoulder to shoulder with the fiddlehead ferns and the fava beans. And honestly, it wasn’t so hard to deal with their absence as I had little idea what to do with them until I stumbled onto a recipe in the May issue of Food and Wine.

It wouldn’t be completely true to tell you I journeyed across the mountains for these artichokes. But since I did make a trek to do a half marathon with my sister, it was pretty convenient to find myself some artichokes along the way. And the rest is history.

And while the prepared artichoke hearts you can purchase just about everywhere are one thing, perfect for cheesy dips and bakes, these are totally another matter. First, they taste different. And there are no tough leaves like I always run into when I get the prepared ones. They are, however, a tad time-consuming.

There is nothing difficult about them – it actually makes pleasant work for a quiet hour in the kitchen. But peeling and prepping a bag of baby artichokes down to a small dish of deliciousness is a bit of a labor of love. What this recipe has going for it is flavor. Artichoke hearts seem to sing in this preparation. And make sure to let them – don’t hide these little gems in a salad or mixed into anything else. They are a perfect little appetizer garnished just as they’ve been marinated.

Baby Artichoke Hearts with Dill and Ginger

Adapted from the Food and Wine recipe, May 2012

(Sorry, I couldn’t find the link)

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20 baby artichokes

1/2 cup olive oil

4 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tablespoons capers

2 tablespoons dill, chopped

1 tablespoon finely grated ginger

Heat a medium saucepan of water and season generously with salt.

Fill a large bowl with water and squeeze the juice of half a lemon into the bowl. Add the lemon half to the bowl. One at a time, cut off the base of the artichoke and remove the dark outer leaves and any dark spots. Don’t worry about wasting a few extra leaves at this point, the closer to the heart, the more tender the leaves. Cut off the top third of the artichoke to remove any thorns using a serrated knife. Rub the top and bottom of the artichoke with the lemon half and add it to the bowl. Continue with the rest of the artichokes.

Once the water in the prepared saucepan has boiled, drain the artichokes in the bowl and add them to the pot. Turn down the heat and let the artichokes simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes until they are tender. Drain the artichokes from the pot and pat dry.

To prepare the marinade, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, capers, dill and ginger in a shallow serving dish. Add the artichokes and toss to coat in the mixture. Cover the dish and refrigerate. Allow the artichokes to marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Bring to room temperature before serving.

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