Thistles? We Ate Thistles?

You have, too, if you've ever eaten artichokes. After having these today for lunch, I wiki'd for information. My big question was "who in the hell ever figured out you could eat these?" They're more work to eat than they are to prepare, or perhaps that's a fluke and this is just an incredible easy tester recipe that Isa whipped up. By the way, the recipe is Simple Artichokes with Ginger and Chervil.

It is believed that artichokes (which are actually perennial thistles) were first found in North Africa where they still grow wild. They popped up several places between then and when they were introduced by the Dutch to Henry VIII. In the 19th Century, they show up in the U.S., in Louisiana and California.

PSA: Apparently if you eat too many of them you can end up like Queen Catherine de Medici. A journal from 1576 says that she "ate so much that she thought she would die, and was very ill with diarrhea. they said it was from eating too many artichoke bottoms." Thank you, wiki!

So I'm no longer an artichoke virgin. These are unique and delicious and I'm glad I tried them for the first time in the privacy of my own home. Considering the mess I made eating them, I'd never order them in public. But at home, they're tasty and fun.

Chicken Salad (tester) for YRR and Gazpacho

Last night's super quick dinner was Chicken Salad, a tester for YRR II that is a standby, and gazpacho. I love gazpacho. Each time I make it, it's a little different, but I think yesterday's batch is the best ever. Here's the recipe.

Great Gazpacho
Makes A Lot
1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes with chilis (Muir Glen)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 32 oz bottle Veggie Juice (tomato based, but your choice)
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 a red pepper, diced
1/2 an onion, diced
1/2 a cucumber, cut in quarter moons
1 Tbsp fresh dill
2 Tbsp fresh basil
1 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp vinegar (I use a combo of red wine and balsamic)
juice from 1/2 a lemon
1/2 tsp celery salt
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all these together and let it sit in the fridge to blend. It's always better the second day, just be sure to adjust the seasonings. Some people like some of the soup blenderized, but we like it chunky with crunches of fresh vegetables. If you have fresh tomatoes, just sub them and add some diced jalapenos.

Tonight's Dinner: Shittake Risotto with something else.