Delightfully Crispy, Buttery, Creamy, and Cheesy...All in One Dish

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I've said before that Easter is a great holiday for food, and Thanksgiving is more set in stone when it comes to the menu, but there is something so cozy and comforting about a feast with family and friends in the fall. The sentiment surrounding the holiday--giving thanks for all that we have-- is just right, and it's never really been marred by rampant commercialism. I look forward to Thanksgiving every year, though it seems to have crept up on me this time. But I've still got two weeks left, so that gives me plenty of time to think about what I'm going to bring this year.

Usually, my Mom asks that I make a side with butternut squash. I'm considering keeping it simple this year, and serving my squash mashed, with an additional offering. We'll have to see what the second dish is. Something that's a bit less expected would be ideal, as long as it's not totally out of place. I'm not really one for flagrantly non-traditional dishes at Thanksgiving; it needs to adhere to the idea of a traditional harvest-time feast. Whatever tradition it follows is up to you, but I like an "honest American" type of cuisine.

Regardless of your tastes, the possibilities are endless. I'm heavily leaning on making these biscuits, which, as I've mentioned before, are ridiculously good. But, as there are a lot of conflicting needs in my family (two vegetarians, one turkey hater, two vegetable haters, and three people who will pretty much eat it all--I'm a member of the last group), maybe a vegetable dish that everyone--except for one person--will enjoy could be just thing (maybe he'll try it, too). It's more of a spring dish, but it's very special and oh-so-good. It would also make a great Christmas dinner dish, as it's rich, cheesy, and something that should be eaten once, maybe twice a year, tops. But you'll want it more often. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Asparagus Gratin
Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens' Easy Menus for Dining Inn
Feel free to insert your favorite vegetable in place of the asparagus, maybe something that's in season for Thanksgiving. I'd recommend artichokes, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, or turnips for fall. However, my version was inspired by another recipe for a gratin using leeks. I tried it this way, but the leeks were a little stringy. With the asparagus, it's got a pleasant crunch.

Ingredients:
2 bunches tender asparagus, washed and trimmed
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons dried marjoram, or 3 tablespoons fresh, snipped
2 slices French or Italian bread, or 1 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons butter, melted, plus more for the dish

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Run two or three slices of bread through a food processor to make larger-sized breadcrumbs that will crisp wonderfully in the oven.

Generously butter a 2 quart rectangular baking dish or gratin dish (something you can bring from the oven to the holiday table is ideal). Arrange the asparagus in the bottom of the dish, overlapping if necessary.

In a small bowl, combine the whipping cream and broth, pour over the vegetables. Sprinkle with salt pepper, and half of the marjoram. Carefully cover the dish with foil, and bake for 15 minutes. About halfway through, check the asparagus to make sure it is not cooking too quickly, as asparagus can vary greatly in thickness.

While the asparagus is baking, combine the remaining marjoram, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and melted butter in a small bowl. Remove the asparagus from the oven and remove the foil. The asparagus should be fork-tender, but not limp. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture evenly over the asparagus. Bake the gratin uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, checking halfway through. The cream will have thickened, and the bread crumbs and cheese will be browned.

Seasonal Delights

I am now going to report about Sunday, which was a much more successful day for cooking.

I started by preparing a light lunch for myself. This is a difficult time of year, in terms of produce. Tomatoes are mealy in texture and tasteless. Bell peppers are rotten and ugly, and broccoli is no longer a good choice. This leaves asparagus, new potatoes and artichokes.

While I love artichokes, I really have no desire to extract the tender hearts from their pointy exteriors. One way that I have found to get fresh artichokes without any of the work is by purchasing artichokes from the olive bar at the local grocery store. The ones that I brought home are called roman artichokes. These already have a lot of flavoring.

A recipe that I like to use for artichokes is based on a recipe from Giada DeLaurentiis . However, on Sunday, I made a smaller version using ingredients that were available to me at the time.

This is a really tangy, flavorful dish. There is also a nice hint of spice. Eating with bread or crackers balances the flavors. Still, a little goes a long way.

Artichoke Gratin
(based on a recipe by Giada DeLaurentiis)

* 3 tablespoons butter, plus more for topping the breadcrumbs (optional)
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 1/4 pound roman artichokes, chopped
* salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste (if using cooking wine, use less salt)
* pinch red pepper flakes
* 1/4 cup chicken broth
* 1/8 cup Marsala wine or sherry
* 1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
* 1/4 cup grated Romano or similar cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Melt two tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the artichoke hearts, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes and cook until the artichokes are starting to brown at the edges, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken broth and wine and simmer for 3 minutes. Transfer the artichoke mixture to a small baking dish or gratin dish.

Melt one tablespoon of butter in the same skillet used to cook the artichokes. Remove from heat. In a small bowl, mix the melted butter with the bread crumbs. Stir in the Parmesan and top the artichokes with the bread crumbs. Dot the top with pieces of the remaining butter, if desired. Bake until the top is golden, about 5 minutes. Serve with fresh bread or crackers.
Serves two as a side-dish or light meal.


Part II
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My other project for Sunday was a lemon-yogurt cake. I got the idea for such a cake on Friday, while perusing Orangette. I remembered a very similar recipe from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa at Home. I chose the second version because I don't actually own the right type of cake pans at the moment, though I do have loaf pans.
The result of this recipe is a luscious, bright-tasting dessert. My cake was rather soft in the middle, so I would like to try the making the cake as a sort of hybrid the of the loaf version and the round cake. One detail that I really like about Ina Garten's version is the lemon juice and sugar mixture that you pour onto the cake ten minutes after taking the cake from the oven. It adds an extra layer of sweetness and tart lemon flavor.

Lemon Yogurt Cake
Reproduced, with my own notations, from Barefoot Contessa at Home by Ina Garten. Clarkson/Potter Publishers, 2006.
This recipe is a variation of a recipe by Dorie Greenspan. A berry sorbet or ice cream would complement this delicious, easy-to-prepare cake very nicely.

*1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1 cup plain whole milk yogurt
*1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
* 3 large eggs (Ina Garten calls for extra-large, but this is optional)
* zest of two lemons (about two teaspoons)
*1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/2 cup vegetable oil
*1/3 freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the glaze:
* 1 cup confectioners' sugar
* 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (will turn out to be about 1 1/2 lemons)


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease an 8 1/2 X 4 1/4 X 2 1/2 inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan (I used Pam with flour).
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into one small or medium-sized bowl. In another (larger) bowl,whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup of sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated.



Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester place in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup of lemon juice (strain the juice to remove any seeds) and remaining 1/3 cup of sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Remove from heat; set aside.

When the cake is removed from the oven, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.

For the glaze, combine the confectioner's sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake.

Makes one loaf.