A Spring Break and Pasta with Artichokes and Sun Dried Tomatoes

Last Wednesday we packed up the truck and headed north to Killington, Vermont for a much needed spring break. The kidadults were off from school, I had no cooking gigs and TBHITW squeezed out a few days of rest from his non-stop work schedule. (yeah, right.. he took calls from the slopes, but that's another post)

Ah. Spring Skiing.

Sun, Snow and temperatures in the 70's.

Here I am enjoying the freedom of warm weather skiing without the cumbersome coat, ski pants, hats and scarves of typical winter downhilling.

NOT. I mean, who doesn't wear a helmet these days?

But I do remove the lining from my coat and (gasp) go without long johns. (and we do wear helmets, we just removed them for the photo op)

We rented a small condo slope side and enjoyed uncrowded lifts, warm sun and incredible conditions. And if you ask the 16 year old kidadult, great views. ahem.

One of my favorite things about family vacations is long, leisurely dinners. Because all things food fall to me, I usually plan half our meals out at casual, local, innovative restaurants.

And the other half as eat-in, easy, yet delicious dinners around a big dining room table filled with stories of the day's adventures. Someone will toss the salad while someone else will slice the bread. TBHITW will fix us a cocktail and I will make the main course.

Wait, that's in a dream I once had. Reality: I make the salad, slice the bread, make some cocktails and cook the main course while the family asks 400 times if dinner is ready yet because they are starving.

Anyway, these are the memories I cherish as a family. All of us healthy, tired from a physically exhausting day spent outside, hungry (with true hunger) and together, enjoying good food and happy times.

This recipe will feed a crowd of hungry adventurers as well as satisfy the gourmond in you and you can toss the salad, slice the bread AND make a cocktail without wearing yourself out.

Pasta with Artichokes and Sun Dried Tomatoes: serves 6

1 medium onion, diced

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, sliced

1 (15 1/2) ounce can artichoke hearts (8-10 count) drained and halved

1 teaspoon dried basil (or 2 teaspoons fresh)

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

1 can (13-ounce) chicken broth (low salt)

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon flour

1 pound penne rigate pasta

grated romano cheese to taste

Saute onions in olive oil until soft and translucent. Add garlic and saute another minute, just until fragrant and soft. Add sun dried tomatoes and artichokes, basil and parsley and cook 3 minutes. Add chicken broth and wine. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 15 minutes. Dissolve flour in 1/4 cup cold water. Bring sauce back up to a boil and whisk into sauce. Reduce heat and allow to simmer and thicken.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and add pasta to sauce, cook and stir for 2 minutes. Turn out in large bowl, sprinkle with grated romano cheese and serve.

I serve a crusty loaf of hot Italian bread and a simple romaine salad on the side.

What are some of your favorite vacation memories?

Quilting and Roasted Sunchokes

I have always wanted to make a quilt.

Not just any quilt.

I have always wanted to make a big, heirloom, queen sized quilt for TBHITW and my bed.

I know how to sew but I do not know how to make a quilt.

Until today.

My good friend Anne knows how to quilt (her quilts are beautiful) and she is going to teach me how to make my own. Starting today.

Yesterday we went to the fabric store and I think I died and went to heaven. The colors!! The choices!! I decided for my first quilt I would use my favorite colors, yellow and green.

I'm going to name this quilt "Summertime". The back will be a rust colored cotton reminiscent of the colors of newly turned earth. The green is like a meadow, the yellow represents the sun and the cream is the color of wheat.

Per Anne's instructions, last night while the rest of the world watched the Super Bowl, I washed, dried and ironed the fabric (Go Saints!). Today she will show me how to cut it. We are designing a "Nine Patch" quilt. Anne informs me a Nine Patch is a good beginner quilt. Eventually we will work our way up to the Ohio Star and (be still my pounding heart and aching fingers) the Log Cabin design.

This quilt will cover our bed in our new home. Eventually.

Today I become the student.

Sunchokes:

Sunchokes are in season. No, they are not pieces of ginger and no, they are not cousins of artichokes. Sunchokes (known as Jerusalem artichokes) are actually the tubers of a variety of sunflower. They are choke full of vitamin C, iron, thiamin, phosphorus and potassium.

Originally cultivated by Native Americans, sunchokes have a nutty, sweet flavor and can be used raw in salads, roasted, fried (chips!), boiled or steamed.

Grab yourself a pound of chokes, roast them up with this recipe and serve along side chicken or fish. Yum. You will be glad you did.

Roasted Sunchokes: (serves 4)

1 pound sunchokes, scrubbed (do not peel) and sliced 1/2 inch thick

3 cloves garlic, sliced

One bulb fennel, sliced into 1/2 inch slices

One 15 ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered

2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for drizzling

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons parsley chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Slice the sunchokes and if not using right away, place in a bowl of cold water with juice from 1/2 a lemon (sunchokes will oxidize and turn pink)

In a heavy skillet heat the olive oil. I use my cast iron skillet. Drain and pat dry the sunchokes, add to the pan and saute over medium high heat until nicely browned on both sides.

Meanwhile, spread the artichokes and fennel out on a heavy rimmed baking sheet. Add the browned sunchokes and the sliced garlic. Toss with a little more olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes until the fennel is browned and the sunchokes are soft - turning about 1/2 half way through. When finished roasting, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.

Thank me later - I'm off to my quilting class.

A Cook's Notes: TBHITW and I have devised a 5 year plan I am calling from City to Farm in Five. While this keeps my mind busy I'm hoping a new found love of quilting will keep my hands busy. I would ultimately like to make each bed in our new home its own quilt.

PS. A serving of Roasted Sunchokes delivers about 160 calories, 6 grams of fat and 4 grams of fiber - as best as I can figure.. remember, I am a cook, not a nutritionist. That's my disclaimer.