1 stephen ceideburg
4 large artichokes
2 cup water
1 lemon, juice only
2 cup vegetable or chicken stock
1 bay leaf
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon, dried thyme)
1 lemon, zest only
1 salt and freshly ground black peppe, r to taste
Directions
Remove and discard all but the tenderest inner leaves from the
artichokes. Cut artichoke into quarters and remove the fuzz choke.
Chop the hearts into 1/4-inch dice and place in water mixed with the
lemon juice to vent discoloration. Drain.
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Add the garlic, shallots and
artichokes and saute a few minutes. Add the stock and bay leaf. Bring
to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the artichokes are tender,
10 to 15 minutes. Drain, reserving the liquid. Remove and discard the
bay leaf,
Place artichokes, garlic, shallot, lemon zest and thyme in a food
processor. Puree to a smooth paste, adding reserved cooking liquid as
necessary to make a spreadable consistency. Season to taste with salt
and pepper. Cover and chill.
Yields 1 cup.
PER TABLESPOON: 20 calories, 1 g protein, 3 g carbohydrate, 1 g fat
(0 g saturated), 0 mg cholesterol, 14 mg sodium, 1 g fiber,
Robin Davis writing in the San Francisco Chronicle, 3/24/93.
Posted by Stephen Ceideburg
Servings: 6 servings
Artichoke Spread Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Vegetable
The History of Recipes
Food historians have traced the existence of recipes way back into the far past, certainly as far into history as pharonic Egypt, and maybe even further. Having said that, generally, these ancient recipes were just basic hieroglyphic or cunieform recipes for preparing meals.
The truth of the matter is, the oldest recipe discovered, according to academics is a collection of stone tablets in Sumerian which recount the preparation of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as having made anyone who drank it feel `exhilarated, wonderful and blissful`. As we move on, there are some recipe books dating from the 14th Century ; a cookery book entitled `Forme of Cury`, and another, similary titled `Curye on Inglish`. Don`t be fooled by the titles though, these books have no connection with the indian curry that appears on menues today, but rather recipes for the types of meals prepared by the cooks of the rich and powerful of the period. Later, in the fifteenth century, the Crusaders brought back many foods, spices and herbs from the holy land, such as rosemary and coriander. These new culinary innovations created a torrent in manuscripts on cooking, some of which are now in academic collections. During the next few centuries, the powerful families of Wesstern Europe tried to serve the most exotic meals, and because of this chefs and their collection of recipes became highly prized. Notwithstanding that, it was during the nineteenth century that cooking and recipe publications became really popular. The Famous Mrs Isabella Beeton in the UK, and the equally well-known Fannie Merritt Farmer in the USA, dedicated years of their lives to assembling, testing, and publishing recipes for their fellow cooks to enjoy. By the advent of the 20th century, recipe books are increasing in popularity mostly due to higher levels of literacy, leisure time and disposable income. The revolution that is television brought us celebrity chefs and the recipe books that accompanied them. And that pretty much brings us to the present day and the invention of the internet, permitting everybody to search through thousands of recipes like those on this site. |
We hope you enjoy this Artichoke Spread recipe.
