Out of hibernation, into a Spring stew

The coming of Spring has roused Hope Farm out of hibernation and we've been watching the artichokes blossom outside our bedroom window. It's a reassuring reminder that Summer is on its way. Also, that it's time to get back into the garden.

Artichokes seem to me a luxury of the season. Perhaps because they're a flower, or maybe because of their complex flavour. Thing is though, they're a bugger to prepare.

But they're worth the trouble and once you have a method, it's not that bad.

Here's what I do:

1. Submerge the flowers in a sink full of cold water with a couple of lemon halves (I juice the lemons - and use the juice in the recipe below - and chuck the skins in the water). The lemon will stop the exposed artichoke flesh browning and the water bath will coax the bugs from their homes amongst the petals, so I wear gloves for this!
2. Pull off the external petals until they are no longer coarse and green, but white and smooth.
3. Chop the top off the flower at the indent and the stem off just below the base.
4. Using a small paring knife, trim off the outside of the stalk and around the base, exposing the white flesh.
5. Then use a teaspoon to scoop out the choke, making sure you remove the little white hairs. (You can cut the artichoke in half as I have done to get a better view).
6. Keep the trimmed artichokes in the lemon water until you're ready to use them.

Good old reliable Stephanie Alexander had just the recipe to make the most of the first artichokes and carrots of the season Al presented to me. This stew actually turned out far more delicious than I had anticipated and made for a wonderful lunch the next day.

In the last part of the cooking, I panicked, thinking that it might not be substantial enough to feed a hungry, post-gardening Al, so I threw in a handful of penne and a splash more water. It wasn't really necessary, but it allowed us to have leftovers for lunch. I think it would also work well to add a handful of dried, soaked beans at the beginning. You can't go too far wrong with slow cooked, home grown vegies flavoured with garlic, olive oil and fresh herbs - a statisfying reward for a hard day's Spring cleaning.

Artichoke Stew
(Adapted from Stephanie Alexander's Cook's Companion)

5-6 artichokes, trimmed and quartered (halved if small)
5 small carrots, peeled and halved lengthways
6 small onions, peeled and halved
3 potatoes, washed and quartered
3 cloves garlic, peeled
¼ cup olive oil
2 cups vegetable stock
1 tbs flour
A few sprigs of thyme
2 bay leaves
Juice of one lemon
2 tbs chopped dill
Grated parmesan
Salt and pepper

Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-based pot. Add all the vegetables, thyme and bay leaves and fry for a few minutes, stirring to coat in the oil and slightly brown.

In a small bowl, mix a little of the stock with the flour to form a smooth paste. Then add the flour mixture into the rest of the stock. Add the stock to the vegetables and stir to combine. The vegetables should be almost or just covered by the liquid, if not, add a little more water. Season with salt and pepper.

Place a sheet of greased baking paper over the vegetables, put the lid on and leave the pot to simmer on low heat for about 45 minutes, or until the vegies are tender. (At this point you could also add some dried, soaked beans or pasta, if you do, just add some extra water).

Remove the lid, increase the heat and boil to reduce the liquid to a sauce, checking for seasoning as you go.

Top with parmesan and dill and serve with crusty bread.


From the garden: artichokes, carrots, lemon, thyme, dill

Raw Zucchini Salad

I had my doubts about eating zucchini raw. I don't know why, I guess it's just one of those entrenched preconceptions. Or maybe I was just used to bitter old store-bought zucchinis.

When I came across this recipe though, I thought I'd give raw zucchini a chance - it certainly worked out for my tomato sauce. I was pleasantly surprised. I think it's even my favourite way to eat zucchini now and makes a fabulously refreshing salad alongside grilled trout.

Raw Zucchini Salad

1 good quality zucchini
1 finely grated clove garlic

Grated rind of one lemon and juice of a half

salt (good quality salt is worthwhile here - I have a pink Himalayan one found at the local hippy shop)

cracked pepper

Combine the lemon zest, juice, garlic, salt, pepper and a few glugs of olive oil in a bowl (you want about twice as much olive oil as lemon juice).

Use a vegetable peeler to slice thin ribbons of the zucchini into the bowl. I imagine a mandolin would do a good job of this too; I used the largest side of a four-sided grater and got a reasonable result.

Toss to combine and serve immediately.

From the garden: zucchini, garlic, lemon

New potatoes

Our first ever potato harvest yielded several handfuls of tiny baby potatoes, about the size of your thumb knuckle. Clearly too small to peel; I was unsure what they'd be good for.

Then it dawned on me - their delicate flavour and texture would make a perfect potato salad and surely give these bite-size babies a sense of purpose. Especially when swathed in a silky cloak home-made aioli.

New potato salad with herbed aoili

Several handfuls of new potatoes, washed (cut any larger ones to match the size of the smallest)

1 egg yolk

100 mls olive oil

juice of 1 lemon (and rind of half)

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tbs capers

2 tbs dill

salt to taste

Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender, drain and set aside. While the potatoes are cooking, place the egg yolk and lemon juice in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Have the oil in a small jug that allows controlled pouring.

Sit in a comfortable position where you can wedge the bowl between your thighs so you can free one hand for whisking while drizzling in the oil with the other hand. Pour the oil in very slowly, just a tiny bit at a time while whisking vigorously. This will emulsify the egg and give you a smooth, gloopy mayonnaise*. Continue until all the oil has been added, then stir through the garlic, salt, capers and dill.

Place your potatoes in a bowl and smother with the aioli. Serve.

* Tip: If the emulsion happens to split, add a little of the mixture to another egg yolk in another bowl and start again, slowly adding the split mixture to the new yolk. I've never had this happen though.

From the garden: potatoes, eggs, garlic, lemon.

Indian carrot fritters

This recipe was inspired by Stephanie Alexander's Cook's Companion, which has proved invaluable for when Aldrum presents me with a basket overflowing with the latest bumper crop and I'm left to find a use for it. And boy did we have a bumper crop of carrots.

I have found carrots somewhat boring in the past, until Stephanie kindly suggested Indian Carrot Fritters. As always, I use recipes as inspiration, so the recipe below is more of a guide than a strict set of instructions.

They make a nice addition to a platter of nibbles or as part of a main meal and can be adapted to suit whatever flavours you have on hand. Just last night I did a version replacing the Indian spices with feta, thyme and lemon zest and gave it a yoghurt and tahini dressing. You can basically use the batter as a base and add whatever grated vegies, spices or herbs you have at hand.

Indian Carrot Fritters

2 cups carrot, grated (2-3 large carrots or 5 small)
1 1/2 cups plain flower
1 tsp turmeric
1 tbs curry powder
1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
3 spring onions, chopped
3 dried chillies, crushed (or more if you like the heat)
1 tsp ginger, finely grated
1/2 to 1 cup of beer (home brew in our case!)
1 egg
1 handful of coriander, roughly chopped (mint is good here too)
vegetable oil for frying
salt to taste

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl (reserving some of the coriander for garnish). Add the egg and mix well. Add the beer until the mixture has the consistency of thick, lumpy pancake batter.

Heat a frying pan on med-high and add enough oil to coat the bottom. When the oil is hot, drop dessert spoonfuls of the batter into the pan. Allow to cook for about 3-5 minutes before turning and repeat on the other side.

Sprinkle with the remaining coriander or mint leaves and a drizzle of lemon-tanged yoghurt.

Homegrown ingredients: carrots, garlic, spring onions, lemon, mint, egg, beer.