Look what’s growing in our garden! This year we planted some artichokes just to see how they would grow for us. We are big eaters of the “thorny thistle of bliss” as I like to think of it. We usually have them at least once per week. Unless they are $4.00 a piece that is.  There is no way that the space of our smallish garden will keep us supplied but the thought of eating a home grown artichoke was just too tempting – so we planted two and one survived which we will share once it is ready to harvest. The ants have eaten the other- hope they enjoyed it.

To cook and eat an artichoke is an adventure. I think the first person to try it must have been quite determined and madly starving to boot.

First of all- trim the bottom and any tough outer leaves until you see a bit of white around the bottom edges of the heart. Trim the thorny tips from the tops of the leaves so you don’t get stuck by them. Rub the cut edges with a slice of lemon. Fit a pot with a steamer basket and fill it with water to just under the bottom edge of the steamer. Add a couple of garlic cloves- no need to peel them and a bay leaf and a couple of peppercorns- you can also add that slice of lemon you used to stop the artichoke from turning brown- waste not want not you know. You can scoop the choke out (the choke is the unbloomed thistle leaves ) over the heart either before steaming or after cooking during the eating process. The artichokes will take less time to steam if you remove the choke before cooking and the eating is less messy if you do too- but it’s up to you- some people think they are more flavourful if steamed with the choke.  To remove it before cooking I find that a serrated edge grapefruit spoon or a mellon baller makes the job easy. Just spread the leaves open a bit and scoop the fluffy choke out- rub the cup left where the heart is with a bit of lemon.

Get the water boiling under the steamer and add the artichokes to the basket- steam until tender -you’ll have to check them- they are done when an outer leaf pulls easily or you can check the bottom thickest part for tenderness with the tip of a paring knife- it should insert fairly easily but not be mushy.  Remove the basket and drain a bit before serving.  We like them with chile and garlic flavoured mayonnaise. I made some homemade mayo- it is so easy and good- give it a try!

Homemade Mayonnaise 

• 1 egg and two yolks of an impeccably fresh and clean eggs*
• 1/3 teaspoon dry mustard powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• juice of one juicy lemon
• 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
• about 1-3/4 cups of canola or other neutral oil
• about 1/4 cup of best quality olive oil
• herbs, salt and pepper or spices to taste

* If you are immune sensitive or uncomfortable using raw eggs-you can coddle the eggs by immersing them in boiling hot water for about a minute before using, try pasteurized egg product (not I- I say) or skip this recipe altogether.

The food processor works great for this. Put the eggs into the bowl fitted with the metal blade. Process for a minute then with the machine running add the mustard powder, the 3/4 teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon each of the lemon juice and the cider vinegar. Slowly start to add about half of the olive oil in a very thin, slow stream – followed by about half of the neutral oil do not stop until a  thick mayonnaise is formed. Add a bit more lemon juice to thin it out a bit and then add the rest of the oil in the same manner. Taste and correct the flavour with more lemon juice, vinegar, salt or pepper. Add chopped fresh herbs if desired- or chiles -whatever you like. This will keep for a few days in the fridge- not as long as commercial but then it only has what you put in it- no commercial fillers or cheap oils. 

Have a happy day

“Jam-ba-lay-a!”  -I always hear Newman from Seinfeld saying that with relish when I think of the word now. Did you know that Jambalaya is an American adaptation of Paella?

My first experience with Jambalaya was on a trip to New Orleans that sealed my love for Cajun and Creole cooking forever. I have always been drawn to New Orleans -I remember wanting to go there from the time I was eight years old. It just seemed so exotic and full of life and history at the same time.

The word “jambalaya” comes from the Provençal word “jambalaia” -meaning a mish-mash or mix up, and also meaning a pilau (pilaf) of rice. The first printed appearance of the word is evidently in a Provençal poem published in 1837. There is another popular theory that Jambalaya has a root word in Jambon - the French word for ham but then again ham is just a component in some Jambalayas- not all.  This theory adds that African slaves who worked as cooks and created Creole cooking added the aya part- a mish-mash of sorts. I don’t think it matters too much-either way it’s a jumble and it’s delicious.

My recipe here is for a Creole  or “Red” Jambalaya in that it contains tomatoes- Cajun Jambalayas are called “Brown”  and flavour is built in them through the browning of the meats- no tomatoes are added. Basic components are rich meats, vegetables, stock and rice. It is a glorious one pot meal. Here’s my recipe adapted from numerous others and suited to my taste. I use crawfish or “mudbugs” instead of shrimp- chicken legs for flavour and add Canadian Bacon to the ham and Andouille -just because I like it that way. It has a bit of heat but is not scorching- if you want more or less hot just adjust the Jalapeno and Cayenne pepper to your liking.

Jambalaya

• 2 medium green bell peppers
• 2 red or other sweetish onions
• 6 ribs of celery
• 1/2 cup butter
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 1 shallot
• 6 green onions
• 1  Jalepeno pepper, seeded
• 3 small bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon Oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon Thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• 2 teaspoons Creole Seasoning
• 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
• 6 chicken legs with skin and bone, rinsed and patted dry
• 1 pound Andouille sausage
• 1/2 pound smoked ham, cubed
• 1/4 pound Canadian Bacon, cubed
• 1 pound shelled, rinsed and cooked Crawfish tails ( you can use shrimp if crawfish is unavailable just add them at the end so they don’t overcook  Cajun Grocer is a good online source for them and also for the Andouille)
• 2 cups canned diced tomatoes
• 4 cups organic chicken stock
• 3 cups of long grain white rice, rinsed and drained
• flat leaf parsley for garnish

Chop the green peppers, celery and onion to uniform size. These three compose what is commonly called the “trinity” or “”holy trinity” of Cajun and Creole cooking- the base of all that is to come.  Slice the green onions and reserve a few Tablespoons for garnish. Mince the garlic with the Creole Seasoning. Mince the Jalapeno and Shallot and add them to the garlic. 

In a large dutch oven or stock pot, melt the butter over medium heat and add the trinity. Saute until softened and then add the garlic mixture,  green onion, bay leaves and seasonings. Saute all until it starts browning a bit and is softened. Add the tomato paste. Stir in. Add the chicken legs and cover the pot for about 5 minutes. Turn the legs and stir the pot. Slice the Andouille and add it with the ham and Canadian bacon to the pot. Stir well and cook until they are sizzling a bit. Add the chicken stock and undrained tomatoes to the pot and stir all until simmering. Add the rice, stir, cover the pot and set the heat to low. Cook for about 30 minutes stirring only occasionally or until rice is tender (al dente) and the liquid is mostly absorbed, add the crawfish and stir in very gently to heat through.  Serve in a bowl, garnish with chopped parsley. Don’t forget to remove the bay leaves once cooked.

Serve with a green salad, French Bread a glass of wine and c’est magnifique!

Hope you enjoy!

xo

WHAT GETS YOU COOKING? 

Macy’s 12 episode podcast series starring Tyler Florence will inspire you with delicious recipes and you have a chance to win a trip for two to San Francisco for a $2500 kitchen shopping spree with Tyler Florence in the Macy’s Keeps America Cooking Video Contest!

This contest sponsored by Macy’s to win a trip to San Francisco to shop with Tyler Florence on a $2,500 shopping spree and a hosted podcast linked to his series.  Nicole from M80 productions contacted me to let me know and asked me to share this with you all too. All you have to do is make a video cooking one of your favourite recipes and share it on the site to be entered to win. The deadline is  April 3, 2009.

Details here at the M80 newsroom or here at  www.macys.com/keepitcooking

Contest overview:
The “Macy’s Keeps America Cooking” contest will be based completely off of user-generated video submissions and viewer-rating of their favorite video or recipe. Entrants are asked to create a video based on an original recipe that demonstrates “What gets you cooking? Is it the magical people in your life? Or the fresh ingredients at your local market?” Each video should be 2 minutes or less, and, similar to how Tyler ends his podcasts with “From my Mill Valley kitchen to yours, Macy’s keeps it cooking,” submitted videos should also end with the line “From my (location) kitchen to yours, Macy’s keeps it cooking!”

Prizes
- The Grand Prize Winner of the contest will receive:
o a trip for two to San Francisco to cook with Tyler
o shopping spree with Tyler for new kitchen products using Macy’s gift of a $2,500 gift card
o a feature spot on their own Macy’s Keeps It Cooking podcast that will show them cooking with their new Macy’s kitchen products
- Nine runner-up winners will also be selected and will each be awarded with a $1,000 gift card from Macy’s
- If winners include mention of what they like about their local Macy’s or macys.com in their videos, they will also receive an additional $500. Winners will be selected on or around April 30, 2009.

Now for this week’s Tyler Florence Fridays:

This is a busy week for me- my son, Ryan, is coming home on leave tomorrow and things are a bit stressful and hectic at work so I went the easy route with Tyler this week.  If you look through his book “Dinner at My Place” you’ll find lots of little helpful recipes for sauces, seasonings and dressings- bits and bobs, odds and sods. This Creamy Pesto Dressing is what I made using his Creamy Dressing Base on page #244. 

For most salads our standard dressing in house is very similar to the French Vinaigrette he gives on the same page -except I add more shallots and usually use Sherry vinegar. I rarely buy bottled salad dressings- they are just so easy to make at home and so much better than a stale sauce in a bottle. Tyler’s base is a great jumping off point for any number of variations when you are craving that type of dressing.  add roasted garlic, salsa, fresh or dried herbs, pesto, roasted peppers, pureed roasted veg, fresh veg, or any other flavour your little heart desires.

The base is basically equal parts mayonnaise and sour cream with a little fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper to brighten and round out the flavour. If you have time make your mayo (I think there is a good recipe in “Stirring the Pot”) homemade- if not Best foods/Hellman’s would be my choice.  When you’re in a time crunch adding 3 Tablespoons (or to taste) from a bottle of prepared Basil pesto makes a quick dressing. It’s not a bad dipping sauce for artichoke leaves or roasted asparagus either.

Let’s check out the other TFF offerings here!

xo