Gourmet Vegetarian Slow Cooker - Lynn Alley [28]
Carefully remove the artichokes from the water using tongs and invert them in a colander or strainer so that any excess water can drain out. Using a spoon or your fingers, pull out the fuzzy center choke of each artichoke, leaving a nice hole. (It is important to let the artichokes cool somewhat before attempting to remove the chokes so that you do not burn your fingers.)
If you are using the stuffing, spoon some of the stuffing into each cavity. Spoon the mayo into small bowls for dipping.
Serve warm or at room temperature. (Unstuffed artichokes can be eaten even cold.)
Note: For some fun and entertainment at your next party, give several guests a large mortar and pestle and the ingredients for the mayo and let them make the mayo by hand. Put the vinegar, egg, mustard, and garlic in the mortar and smash it up. Incorporate the vegetable oil a few drops at a time, pounding it in with the pestle, until the mayo is nice and thick. Be sure to keep their wineglasses full!
SUGGESTED BEVERAGE: Artichokes are generally considered a difficult food to pair with wines. I think the fun would be to experiment and find out what, if anything, works. Put out some bottles of rosé, a chilled white or two (Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, or Grigio), perhaps a sparkling wine, and maybe even a red.
WALNUT AND APPLE BREAD PUDDING
Serves 4 to 6
Apples and walnuts ripen at about the same time, and are often grown in the same region. Pair them with a crusty, rustic loaf of bread, some spices, milk, and eggs, and you’ve got a perfect dessert for a fall afternoon. Puddings and bread puddings are particularly easy to make in a slow cooker, and the results are nearly always perfect.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 cups levain or country bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch (or smaller) cubes
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon or apple pie spice
1 cup chopped walnuts
½ cup raisins
4 cups whole milk
½ cup sugar
4 large eggs
Whipped cream or ice cream, for serving
Brown sugar, for sprinkling
Coat the interior of the slow cooker insert with the butter.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the bread, apples, cinnamon, walnuts, and raisins and mix them together as thoroughly as possible. (I use clean hands, the best mixing device I know of.) Place the bread and apple mixture in the slow cooker insert.
In a blender, combine the milk, sugar, and eggs and blend thoroughly. Gently pour the liquid over the bread, using a spoon to press the bread down into the liquid.
Cover and cook on low for about 3 hours, or until the liquid has been absorbed by the bread and a crust is beginning to form.
Turn off the slow cooker and allow the pudding to settle for 15 to 20 minutes, then spoon individual portions into bowls and top each portion with a generous serving of whipped cream and a sprinkling of brown sugar.
SUGGESTED BEVERAGE: Tea or coffee are good choices here. If you can find one, a Canadian apple ice wine would be delightful.
Greece
GREEK-STYLE FAVA BEANS AND TOMATOES
STUFFED GREEK ONIONS
GREEK LEMON, ARTICHOKE, AND EGG SOUP
POTATO, ARTICHOKE, AND MUSHROOM STEW WITH KALAMATA OLIVES
STUFFED PEPPERS FLORINA
MOUSSAKA WITH ARTICHOKES, TOMATOES, AND POTATOES
WILD MUSHROOM STEW ON NOODLES
YELLOW SPLIT PEA AND OREGANO PURéE
BABY LIMAS WITH SPINACH
Like the rustic cooking of all countries, Greek cuisine reflects the many peoples and cultures that have passed through and contributed to making this beautiful country what it is today. And just as rustic dishes may vary greatly from one region of a country to another, so do those of Greece.
For most Americans, Greek food consists of a very limited repertoire of delicious dishes: cured olives, hummus, melitzanosalata (mashed eggplant) and feta cheese, moussaka, pastitsio, avgolemono (lemon-flavored chicken soup), and the