Artichokes Asparagus And Watercress Salad With Cumin Vinaigrette Recipes

STEAMED-ARTICHOKE AND ASPARAGUS SALAD

Steps:

• Squeeze 2 lemon halves into a large bowl of water; add rinds. Working with 1 artichoke at a time, remove tough outer leaves closest to stem end, then trim pointy tips of remaining outer leaves with kitchen shears. With a serrated knife, cut off top 1 inch; with a paring knife, trim and peel stem. (Transfer to lemon water as you work to prevent discoloration.)
• Set a steamer basket in a large pot; add enough water to reach just below basket and bring to a boil. Squeeze remaining 2 lemon halves into pot. Add artichokes, season with salt, and cover; steam 20 minutes. Add potatoes to pot. Continue to steam until potatoes and artichoke hearts are easily pierced with the tip of a knife, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a plate; let stand until cool enough to handle.
• Meanwhile, prepare an ice-water bath. Bring 2 inches of water to boil in a saucepan; season with salt. Add asparagus and boil until crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Transfer to ice bath and let cool. Drain; pat dry.
• Remove leaves from artichokes; reserve for eating separately. Scoop out and discard fuzzy chokes, then halve artichoke bottoms lengthwise. Cut potatoes into 1/4-inch rounds. Divide artichoke bottoms, potatoes, asparagus, greens, and radishes among 4 plates.
• Whisk together mustard and vinegar in a bowl. Gradually whisk in oil; season with salt and pepper. Lightly drizzle salads with some of dressing; garnish with flowers. (Remaining dressing can be served separately, with reserved leaves.)

ARTICHOKE-ASPARAGUS SALAD

Steps:

• Cook artichoke hearts as directed on box; drain. Immediately rinse with cold water; drain.
• In large glass or plastic bowl, mix artichokes, asparagus and mushrooms. To make dressing, in tightly covered container, shake oil, lemon peel, lemon juice, chives, mustard and salt until well blended. Pour dressing over salad; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
• Remove vegetables from dressing with slotted spoon; reserve dressing. Arrange vegetables on lettuce on each of 6 plates. Garnish with olives. Serve with reserved dressing.

ASPARAGUS, ARTICHOKE, AND MUSHROOM SAUTE WITH TARRAGON VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• For the Vegetable Saute: Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and the garlic and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and asparagus to the pan and cook until tender. Add the artichoke hearts and season with salt and pepper, then cook until the artichoke hearts are heated through. Remove the skillet from the heat, then add in the tomatoes and stir to warm them up.
• For the Tarragon Vinaigrette: Combine the oil, vinegar, tarragon, salt and pepper in a glass screw-top jar. Seal the jar and shake vigorously to mix the vinaigrette.
• Toss the vegetables with the vinaigrette and serve.

WARM ARTICHOKE & ASPARAGUS SUMMER SALAD

Steps:

• When the artichokes are trimmed, find a pan wide enough to hold them in a single layer. Squeeze in juice from a lemon half and half-fill with cold water. Add 2 tbsp olive oil, the spices, thyme, vinegar, artichokes and a generous pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 15 mins until soft. Turn off the heat and allow to cool (see tips, below).
• Prepare the asparagus. First, cut off the woody ends, then use a swivel blade peeler to trim the ends, rotating them as you go so they end up the same thickness as the tips.
• Bring a large pan of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook the asparagus for 2 mins, then drain and tip straight into heavily iced water. Leave until completely cool, drain again, then set aside.
• To make the dressing, heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan , then gently cook the red onion for 5 mins until soft. Turn off the heat stir in the spring onion and chives, then tip into a jug. Drizzle the rest of the oil and the vinegar into the dressing, then season to taste.
• Get the vegetables ready. Drain the artichokes, then cut each into 6 wedges. Slice each asparagus on the angle into 3 pieces.
• Wipe out the dressing pan and heat the remaining olive oil. Fry the asparagus with some seasoning until shiny and starting to colour, then scoop onto a plate. Place the pan back on the heat, then cook the artichoke wedges until they start to brown. Turn off the heat and you are ready to plate up.
• Spoon a puddle of dressing into the centre of each plate. Balance the pieces of asparagus up against each other to circle the dressing. Arrange the artichokes among the asparagus so they're evenly distributed over the plate. Scatter over the salad leaves and drizzle over the remaining dressing.

JICAMA-JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE SALAD

Steps:

• If radishes are 1 ounce each or larger, cut them into eighths; quarter smaller ones. Place in a bowl. Scrub Jerusalem artichokes well. Use a small knife to trim off any bad spots, but do not peel. Slice the Jerusalem artichokes in half lengthwise, then crosswise into thin pieces. Add to radishes; add all remaining vegetables. Toss to combine.
• In a small bowl, combine vinegar, salt, pepper, and thyme. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Pour vinaigrette over salad; toss well. Let stand at room temperature for about 1 hour before serving.

SHAVED ARTICHOKE AND WILD WATERCRESS SALAD

Steps:

• To prepare the artichokes, first peel the fibrous outer covering from the stems, trimming only the very bottom and leaving as much stem intact as possible. (See step-by-step photos on pages 16 and 17.) Cut off the top of each artichoke with a very sharp chef's knife. Next, pull off all the tough outer leaves. Use kitchen shears to snip off the tops of the tender inner leaves. Quarter the artichoke and remove the choke from each quarter. Shave each quarter using a mandoline. Immediately put the slices in a bowl, squeeze 1/2 lemon over, and toss. This will keep the slices from turning brown. Season with salt and pepper.
• Add the cress to the bowl. Drizzle the olive oil over the top and squeeze the other lemon half over the salad. Gently toss.
• Divide the salad among 4 plates, ensuring each portion contains the same amount of artichoke. Shave the cheese over the top of each and serve.

RAW ARTICHOKE AND WHITE-ASPARAGUS FARRO SALAD

Steps:

• Cover farro with 3 inches of water in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook until farro is tender but still slightly chewy, about 25 minutes.
• Combine lemon zest and juice, oil, onion, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Drain farro and immediately toss with dressing. Let cool completely.
• Meanwhile, squeeze remaining 2 lemon halves into a large bowl of water; add rinds. Working with 1 artichoke at a time, remove all tough outer leaves. With a serrated knife, cut off top 1/2 inch; with a paring knife, trim and peel stem. Very thinly slice lengthwise. (Transfer to lemon water as you work to prevent discoloration.)
• Drain artichokes; pat dry with paper towels. Toss with farro, asparagus, mint, and dill. Serve with feta, drizzled with oil and garnished with more mint and dill.