Calamari & Artichoke Soup with Garlic Crostini

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Artichoke & Squid SoupMany of my favorite dishes are the ones that have the ability to transport.  You inhale, take a bite, and suddenly you’re not sitting at your kitchen table anymore, you’re off exploring the world or being whisked back a couple of decades and remembering a dinner you ate half a lifetime ago.

This soup is one of those dishes; it’s a soup that transports.  As soon as it started to simmer, I breathed in, and thought, “ahhh…Italy”.  While it’s not a replica of any dish I’ve eaten on Italian soil, the smell of squid and artichokes bubbling away in white wine and too much/just the right amount of olive oil smelled so unmistakably Italian.  Immediately, I was flung from my dreary Minnesota kitchen, into the warm Mediterranean sun.  

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Lamb Stew with Artichokes, Olives & Mint

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Spring Lamb Stew with ArtichokesOne of the joys of writing a blog is having an online record of how often I contradict myself.  Last week, I stood up here on my soapbox and declared myself officially stewed out.  And then, naturally, 2 days later, I hauled out the old Dutch oven and made a lamb stew.

What can I say–coming up with dinner this time of year can be tricky.  Your heart aches for spring produce, but your chilled bones still crave heartier dishes.   Even though emotionally you might be ready to trade beets and squash for peas and asparagus, hefty meat-based mains for light fish dishes and salads, physically you’re still battling cold weather and want to eat something warm and satisfying.  

Thankfully, this stew gives you the best of both worlds.  It’s a hearty, but not heavy, celebration of in-between seasons eating.  Chunks of lamb shoulder are braised until fork-tender in a bath of white wine and tomatoes.  Artichoke halves and green olives share the spotlight with the lamb, keeping it from being nap-inducingly heavy and a handful of mint scattered over the top keeps it fresh and lively.

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Braised Baby Artichokes with Creamy Polenta

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Braised Baby Artichokes with Creamy PolentaWhen the calendar turns to spring, my mind wanders from braising to grilling and I tend to stop day-dreaming about polenta all together.  But after this dinner, I think that’s going to change.

Spring evenings are actually an ideal time for a bowl of not too heavy polenta with saucy, braised artichokes.  The weather’s nice enough to eat outside, but come dusk, the air gets a bit brisk and a warm bowl of polenta is just what you need to remain al fresco.

Or scratch that theory.  How’s this for the perfect spring braising/polenta scenario?  Lunch on an incredibly gloomy, gray, drizzly Saturday afternoon.  It’s the kind of day when you eat lunch at the kitchen table and it ends up lasting for hours.  You light a candle, sip red wine, and let yourself become hypnotized by the pitter-patter of falling rain.  Dessert after a lunch like this?  Only the most decadent thing imaginable–a nice long nap.

Whatever the circumstances, I can find a way to make this meal work and you should too.  It’s simple, delicious, and the flavors and textures are supremely comforting.  The artichokes aren’t fussed with much, just cooked in white wine with leeks and garlic, brightened up with a handful of parsley and a squeeze of lemon.  The polenta is kept soft and loose, with a spoonful of Mascarpone cheese added for a touch of richness.

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A Spring Feast + Grilled Artichokes with Garlic Aioli

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Spring Feast with Grilled ArtichokesLast week started with a half-foot of sloppy, wet snow and ended with 80°, sunshine, barbecues, patios, ice-cream, pansies, and pink wine.  Yes!  Spring!  Finally!

As you might imagine, after making it through 6 months of cold and snow, everyone in Minnesota goes bonkers on the first warm spring weekend.  Puffy down-jackets and boots are traded in for sundresses and sandals.  Patio bars overflow with warm-weather revelers.  Parks are packed with picnickers.  Ice-cream gets scooped like it’s going out of style.  You go from living and working in what was feeling like a really depressing ghost-town to being back in a city with a pulse, with people on the streets, instead of the skyways.  Everyone you encounter has unsnarled their face and regained the bounce in their step.

As for myself?  I celebrated the coming of spring as I celebrate any significant event, with food and drink. Yes, I had ice-cream.  Pink wine made an appearance.  I ate my weight in fish tacos.  Margarita?  Heck yes.  And I grilled to my heart’s content.

All winter, I’d been dreaming of my first grilling episode: grilled artichokes with garlic aioli.  I’m not sure which is better, the charred artichokes or the assertively garlicky, super rich homemade mayonnaise, but together, they’re enough to make life worth living.

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Potato, Leek & Artichoke Soup

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Potato, Leek & Artichoke Soup

Some people head off to a spa to relax.  Others sign up for yoga classes or spend a day poolside in a chaise lounge sipping drinks with paper umbrellas.

Me?  I make soup.

When I need to chill out, nothing relaxes me like chopping vegetables, sautéing onions, and stirring a batch of soup.  It’s a soothing ritual that’s downright therapeutic.  I can zone out, let my mind wander, and when I come out of my zen-like state to return to the reality of life beyond my kitchen, I’ve got a big pot of soup that’s going to comfort and nourish me for days.

This particular soup is one of the classics: potato-leek.  We’re going to spiff it up for spring with the addition of artichokes and a splash of white wine.  Ready?  Let’s relax…let’s make soup.

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