The Food Diaries

Italian braised artichokes

Rinse off two Globe artichokes or 4 of the smaller Italian artichokes. One by one, place on a cutting board and chop off the stem. Slice 1/3 off the top of the leaves. Peel quite a few of the outer leaves at the base till you get to the tender ones. Yes, you will be discarding quite a bit of the artichoke. Finally, slice thinly lengthwise. Immediately place in a bowl of water with 1 lemon cut in half (squeeze the juice over the slices as you put them in the water) to stop them from browning.

In a large, shallow pan on medium heat pour a good glugg of olive oil, 2 large garlic cloves finely chopped, and a handful of finely chopped parsley. Scatter the artichoke slices overtop. Add the juice of 1 lemon, and top off with a 1/4 cup water (to keep the artichokes from drying out). Season with sea salt and pepper. Cover the pan and continue cooking a few minutes more till the artichokes are just tender.

Uncover the pan, ensure most of the liquid has evaporated before transferring to two plates. Drizzle with additional olive oil, add a sprinkling of chopped parsley and scatter shavings of parmesan (optional).

Serves 2 as an appetiser.

Artichokes and Asparagus - simply grilled to seal in the freshness

With new season vegetables upon us, more often than not the best possible way to treat them is as little as possible. This means no to boiling and stewing, and yes to fast grilling (or even served raw if possible).

With the tender green and thin asparagus, a quick drizzle of olive oil, some salt and pepper and grilled in the oven for minutes is all that is needed. Same goes for baby artichokes (those these will need a bit of pruning first - cutting off either end, and peeling off a few of the tough outer leaves - and don’t forget to dunk them in lemon water so that they stay true to their original colour).

I like to serve these with a creamy dipping sauce of mayonnaise, thick greek yogurt, dijon mustartd, ketchup, Sriracha, lime juice, salt and pepper.

Lamb’s lettuce and avocado salad

Provence is the garden of France, and even though spring has sprung quite late this year, the markets are already laden with new season vegetables and fruit (white asparagus, artichokes, strawberries).

Spending time in southern France and Italy has taught me that the better the produce, the simpler the recipe should be to match. For instance, throw together a simple salad of soft lamb’s lettuce and avocado, lightly coated with a whole-grain mustard dressing (rub a wooden bowl with some cut garlic, add 1 tsp sherry vinegar, 1 heaping teaspoon grainy mustard, 2 tbs olive oil, some salt and pepper), served with some fresh goat’s cheese, and a chunk of baguette, and a glass of Côtes-du-Rhône. If you are lucky enough to find a sunny terrace and some friends to share your lunch with, lucky you.