Boy am I glad it’s Friday! The days following the holidays are always so slow and it seems like the weekend will never get here, you know what I mean? Since Andy and I both worked, and hard I might add, these past couple of months, we’re treating ourselves to a little getaway starting Sunday. Where are we headed? Why, Big Sur of course! It’s time for some winter #glamping!

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park.

Now I know what you’re thinking, it’s winter, right?! Wrong! It’s California baby and although our mornings and evenings are chilly, it’s been at least 73 degrees out in the daytime for the past few weeks. Our plan is to hike and be adventurous during the day, like visiting the Point Sur Lighthouse and the Henry Miller Library, while the evenings are spent around the campfire playing Uno, Dominoes and drinking good red wine to stay warm! The wine part excites me most since I’ll be toting along a bottle of Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon from my step-brother and s-i-l, and a bottle of Stasis Pinot Noir, a gift from my student and friend Kathy who knows me way too well when it comes to wine!

LOVE LOVE LOVE!

So here’s a quick dinner, side dish or snack that you can prepare even when camping! I found the most gorgeous looking artichokes at the Farmer’s Market on Wednesday and could’t wait to steam them up last night. Artichokes, usually canned, are a staple in any Italian pantry, just like garlic and red sauce. When I was younger, my Grandma Ann would steam artichokes for me and we would eat them on her back porch in the sunlight. It’s one of my favorite memories from my short time with her here on Earth. The first time I had one, she demonstrated how to put the artichoke against my teeth and pull off the fleshy part from it’s bud. It made me laugh so hard and I loved eating with my hands! I’ll never forget that feeling, and my Grandma started making them quite often from then on in.

Grandma Ann!

If you didn’t know already, an artichokes is actually a plant, hence why it looks like a big flower. The edible potion of of the plant consist of the flower buds before the flowers come into bloom. The edible portions of the buds consist primarily of the fleshy lower portions of the base or “heart” while the mass in the center of the bud is called the “choke.” You don’t want to eat the entire choke like I accidentally did last night while watching Jeopardy! I had THE worst stomach ache and it felt like little spikes were poking me in the stomach!

Steamed Okey Dokey Artichokey- serves two or more

Ingredients:

-one large artichoke

-2 cloves of garlic, crushed

-a handful of rosemary

-1/2 a lemon, sliced

-1 T olive oil

-salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Fill a large pot half way with water and add the olive oil, lemon, crushed garlic and rosemary. Bring to a boil.

2. While the water is heating, run the artichoke under water and then turn it upside down to make sure all the water is out.

3. Put a fresh cut on the bottom of the stem but don’t cut it off! It’s edible and delicious! Also, cut just the tip-top of the artichoke off so you can get rid of some of the spikes.

4. When the water is boiling, add the artichoke, cover the pot, and turn the temperature all the way down to it’s lowest setting.

5.  Let the artichoke simmer for at least 50 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when you can insert a fork into the stem and it’s open and “flowering.”

6. To eat, pull a bud off, and place it into you mouth, stem side at the top. Pull down on the “leaf” with your teeth and the fleshy part will release. Mangia!

Eat and repeat!