Tender baby artichokes are a good pick for Vegetables a la Greque
Vegetables a la Greque

In my early years as a professional chef, when I cooked at the respected resort L'Oustau de Baumaniere in Provence, one of the important tasks I had to do every day was help prepare the two hors-d'oeuvre trolleys that would be wheeled into the dining room to tempt our guests. One carried all sorts of pates and terrines, smoked meats, and seafood. The other featured the beautiful produce of the South of France, from carrot salad to cooked eggplant, grilled zucchini to one of my favorites: artichokes and mushrooms cooked a la Greque , in the Greek style.

Many people hear that term and wonder what it means. The answer is simple, referring to the typically eastern Mediterranean ingredients with which those vegetables are first cooked and then marinated: tomatoes, garlic, onions, bell peppers, olive oil, white wine, herbs, and a hint of lemon.

Back at Baumaniere, I used to love making the vegetables a la Greque , and I still enjoy preparing them. It takes a while, but all the steps are fairly easy, and the results are so delicious.

It starts with getting the vegetables ready, and always try to buy organic vegetables if possible. Mushrooms are easy: Just trim the stems and wipe the caps clean with a soft, damp cloth or paper towel. (Don't wash or rinse button mushrooms, as they'll absorb too much water.)

The artichokes take a little more time and effort. If you have the small ones sometimes called baby artichokes (though they aren't really immature, but rather simply smaller ones that grow farther down on the plant), you just need to trim and pare them lightly and cut them in halves. Larger artichokes need more extensive paring (as described in the recipe), but also the removal of the fibrous, inedible chokes nestled in their hearts. Still, once you've done it a few times, it's actually straightforward and satisfying work. And remember: Whatever size artichokes you use, always immerse them in water and lemon juice after cutting, or their cut surfaces will darken.

Once you're done prepping, all that's left is to do is cook the vegetables. I like to prepare the artichokes and mushrooms in separate pans, not only so their flavors won't mingle but also because the mushrooms cook more quickly. As soon as the vegetables are tender, you remove them from the liquid and continue to cook the liquid down to an intense essence in which the vegetables will marinate for several hours to heighten their flavor.

The results taste so delicious that, like me, you'll want to make this recipe again and again. Serve the vegetables cold as an appetizer. Or enjoy them as a condiment alongside pates, terrines, or smoked meats or seafood -- just as so many of our guests did at L'Oustau de Baumaniere.

Artichokes & Mushrooms A La Greque

Serves 6

2 lemons, thoroughly washed and cut in half

9 small artichokes or 5 large artichokes

6 medium-sized firm ripe tomatoes

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 bell pepper, halved, stemmed, seeded, deveined, and diced

1 garlic clove, peeled and minced

Pinch of dried thyme

1 small bay leaf, broken in half

1 cup dry white wine

4 cups organic chicken broth or vegetable broth

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 pound whole button mushrooms, trimmed and wiped clean

Fill a large mixing bowl with cold water. Squeeze the lemon halves into the water and then drop them in. Set aside.

With a small, sharp paring knife, trim the small artichokes, cutting off their stems, paring away the tough outer layer, trimming any sharp leaf tips, and cutting off the top third of each artichoke. Cut them in half vertically and put in the lemon water.

If using large artichokes, trim them by cutting off the stems; pulling away the tough outer leaves starting at the base; paring off the tough outer skin; cutting off the top third; and then, with a sharp-edged spoon, digging down into the center and scooping out the fuzzy, fibrous chokes. Then, cut the remaining bottoms into quarters and put them in the lemon water.

Fill another bowl with water and ice cubes. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Meanwhile, use a small, sharp knife to cut out the cores of the tomatoes and score a shallow X in the opposite end of each one. Carefully put the tomatoes into the boiling water and cook just until their skins begin to wrinkle, about 30 seconds. With a slotted spoon or wire skimmer, lift out the tomatoes and transfer to the ice water. When the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, peel off their skins. Then, cut them in halves, squeeze or scoop out the seeds, and dice the tomatoes. Set aside.

Divide the olive oil between two frying pans. Heat the oil over low heat. Divide the onion equally between the pans and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes. Divide the tomatoes, bell pepper, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf between the pans and stir. Pour half of the wine into each pan, raise the heat, and stir and scrape with a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan deposits. Add half the broth to each pan and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper.

Drain the artichokes and add them to one pan. Add the mushrooms to the other pan. Adjust the heat and simmer the vegetables until tender, about 20 minutes for the artichokes and 10 minutes for the mushrooms.

When each vegetable is done, use a slotted spoon to remove it to a separate glass mixing bowl. Raise the heat and boil the liquid until it has reduced to a syrupy sauce, about 20 minutes longer for each batch. Pour the liquid from each pan over the vegetables that cooked in it. Taste the liquid and, if necessary, adjust the seasonings.

Let the liquid cool for about 30 minutes. Then, cover the bowls and refrigerate overnight before serving.

 

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