Baked Artichokes & Aubergine - Cooking with Loredana - Living the Life in Sicily - E36

Today Harry is learning how to make baked artichokes, baked aubergine, kale with Olive Oil and garlic with Loredana and Orazio on Mount Etna in Italy. There will be nine guests for lunch to Loredana's Cucina (kitchen) to enjoy the feast. We jokingly also call it the lower restaurant, located on their property called Pioppi e Betulle because they are always cooking and having many guests.

Artichokes are in season in spring in Sicily. The Sicilians, and Italians all over Italy eat what is in season. When something is in season, they make many recipes with the same vegetable or fruit. In a little while the next one becomes ripe and they repeat so you never tire of the same product and are always looking forward to the next time it ripens naturally. Nothing is picked before it is ripe, which always guarantees it is at its full potential of nutrients.

Loredana also explains how she makes a Stuffed Baked Artichoke where she stuffs between the leaves with bread crumbs, grated parmigiana cheese, and salami, and bakes them, but this recipe is for another day.

Orazio explains that artichokes are categorized as a flower, not a vegetable. In Italian artichokes are called Carciofo (singular) and Carciofi (plural).

Aubergine is called melanzana. This is a simple recipe, but delicious.

The wild greens that are available at this time are delicious. Today, however, Loredana made steamed black kale with olive oil and garlic, not the wild greens. In Italian the kale is called "Cavolo Nero".

The following are some of Loredana's RECIPES for todays lunch.

BAKED ARTICHOKES (ITALIAN: CARCIOFI):

Ingredients:

1 Lemon and water

15 Artichokes (makes 30 halves)

1/2 cup Olive Oil

Pinch Sea Salt

Pinch Black Pepper

3 Dried garlic cloves

Small Bunch Parsley

Description:

Step 1 - Prepare a large bowl full of water and squeeze the juice of one lemon into it and leave the lemon in the water.

Step 2 - Prepare the artichokes by cutting off the stem close to the artichoke. Then peel off the outer leaves of the artichoke, just a few. Trim the remaining part of the stem. Cut in half and pull the remaining leaves slightly apart. Place in the bowl of water so the water can penetrate in between the leaves. The lemon water prevents the artichoke from turning black. Repeat this process until all the artichokes are prepared.

Step 3 - In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, Salt, Pepper, dried garlic, and parsley and leave to infuse.

Step 4 - Prepare 2 baking sheets with a drizzle of olive oil and line with parchment paper. Rinse the artichokes that have been soaking in lemon and water. Drain in colander. Place them cut side down on the parchment paper...15 on each sheet, well spaced.

Step 5 - Preheat oven to 170 degrees celsius (338 degrees fahrenheit). Place baking sheets on 2 racks in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes.

Step 6 - Remove each pan, turn over the artichokes and scoop a drizzle of the olive oil mixture including the garlic, into the cut side of each artichoke. Put back into oven to bake another 15 minutes, cut side up. Step 7 - Remove from oven and turn artichokes one move time and finish baking another 20 minutes. The total baking time will be about 45 minutes. They will be a golden brown colour.

Step 8 - Place in a beautiful low ceramic bowl.

BAKED AUBERGINE (ITALIAN: MELANZANA) - also known as EGG PLANT:

Ingredients:

1 jar Tomato sauce

2 Aubergine

1/2 cup grated parmigiana cheese

5 fresh Eggs

Description:

Step 1 - Prepare the Aubergines. Cut them in quarter inch slices, salt them. There is a lot of moisture in Aubergines. Place a cutting board and a weight on top to help press out the moisture. After half an hour, rinse off the excess salt. Pat dry with paper towel. Fry slices in Olive oil and when golden brown, remove and cool.

Step 2 - In a large glass baking dish, pour the jar of tomato sauce on the bottom. Add the prepared Aubergine as the next layer.

Step 3 - Beat the eggs in a small bowl slowly with a fork until well mixed. Add grated parmigiana cheese and mix in. Pour egg mixture on top of aubergines and pat into the crevices to make sure it seeps into the dish.

Step 4 - Bake dish in oven at 170 degrees celsius (338 degrees fahrenheit) for 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Also Served:

Roasted Red Bell Peppers, peeled, drenched in olive oil, vinegar, salt & Pepper.

Steamed Greens - Kale with Olive Oil, garlic, salt & pepper.

The guests, parents of Lara, who is married to Loredana and Orazio's son Andrea were from Comiso in Southeastern Sicily, another amazing area. They brought baked goods...a variety of fantastic Meat pies as well as a dessert pastry filled with fresh warm ricotta cheese.

WINE: White Table wine served in wine decanters.

FINAL: Cafe Correcto. When we first starting coming to Sicily, we were pleasantly surprised when they served this at the end of lunch, not dinner. It is espresso topped with Jack Daniel's whiskey, Sambuca, or Napoleon Brandy from Spain.