Artichokes how I love thy thistle

We are enjoying our Alkaline broth and as promised artichokes are next on the menu.

Now that the Butcher is on board with taking care of his liver, I am enthusiastically getting ready to have liver loving foods in the house.

So as I list recipes  keep in mind that they are not going to be an all out cold turkey cleanse complete with potions and pills. I will be putting together a good herbal blend for tea as well as including many culinary herbs. We are striving for delicious, delicious,delicious foods in season that bring all the right nutrients and foods into our diet.

And this is the point, isn't it? How many times I have commented and thought that we are a matched set, the planet and us? Many more than I can remember. But we eat for comfort, we eat because chocolate milk and cookies  make us feel loved, as we probably were when we were kids and mom was making the sugo.

And that's great, but it's just not good all the time.


I am in the Mediterannean now, so that which supports us will come from food that is available here. I know, I know it is amazing how easy it can be when we are close to the farms as we are here. But even if you can't find a farm or a farmer's market nearby, these items can be found.  Write to me if you want me to brainstorm how to use what I mention here in your climate.

So in season in Sicily will be different from in season in NYC or Texas. But let's start a dialogue. It will get interesting and of course delicious.

Our livers thank us for the effort, with all that the liver is responsible for it is only loving in response to give it what it needs. Kind of like Jerry McGuire, "help me to help you" help your liver so it can help you.

 Tomorrow I am going to make a risotto. Here is the tentative recipe. I will post photos and modifications tomorrow.

• 4 or 5 artichokes (cleaned and cut in 6 pieces each)
• 2 cups of Arborio rice
• 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• half onion (chopped)
• 1 small spoon of chopped garlic
• about 4 cups of alkaline broth
• salt
• 1/2 cup of white wine I would like to use kombucha as a  subtitute, but don't have any yet, so I will play with just adding some more brodo (broth)- perhaps adding a tbs of local artisanally produced vinegar, to give it a bite.
• 3 tablespoons of good quality butter- need a substitution for this.- might consider yogurt which will add a bit of a bite, so maybe I won't need the vinegar.
• 4 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese this I might add, since it is aged and will bring less of a lactose burden to the meal than non aged cheese would. Since I have some Nutritional yeast, I am considering substituting that for the Parmesan cheese.

How to prepare: These are the instructions as written, I will be modifying and rewriting after preparation tomorrow. But if you want to go ahead and give it a whirl, here they are.

1. Put the oil into the pan, turn on the gas and add the chopped onion. Let it fry a while and add the chopped garlic and the artichokes.
2. Let it fry for a while, and then add the rice. Keep mixing it all until il melts well and then add the wine. Let the alcohol evaporate and add some broth.
3. Put a tap on the pan and lower the gas. Once in a while open it and mix, adding broth when necessary.
4. After about 12 minutes, taste a grain to check its cooking. When it's quite done, turn off the gas, add the butter, the grated parmesan cheese, mix it all energetically and close the pan again.
5. Let it rest for 5 minutes and serve.

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