Cardoni

Cardoni (Cynara cardunculus) appeared in the market near my parents' house, so I bought a bunch to cook up tomorrow. They are quite a bit of work (unless you get them very young and tender), but worth it. They are the ancestor of the artichoke and are cultivated for the leaves and stalks rather than the flower buds. Their flavor is sort of like artichoke heart, but with pronounced herbal notes. The texture is akin to celery (and the trimmed heads look a lot like monster celery stalks).

I am going to parboil them (after trimming and cutting into 2" long pieces) in acidulated water, then tomorrow I am going to bake them in a gratin with a touch of garlic, gruyere, reggiano parmeggiana, a bay leaf, a little thyme, and creme fraiche. I will probably do a pork roast over a wood fire and a green salad with fuyu persimmons and pomegranite seeds.

This is just about the perfect fall menu, as far as I am concerned (especially if finished with a slice of almond torte and a glass of calvados).

As you all know, I am constantly awed by the changes in seasons, and the most by late autumn. Right now we are in the period that the East had a month or so ago. The skies are blue, the leaves are changing (every year it gets better as Californians figure out what trees to plant for fall color), and the smell of wood fire in the air is no longer a terrifying omen.

One of my favorite way to watch the change in seasons is the change in the stained glass windows at church. As the light switches direction, different colors are highlighted. It is like a jewelled sundial.

Today we are going to be outside almost all day. Amalia is finally over her cold, I am caught up in my newspaper assignments, and there are several days of exploring the world to make up! I am thinking that we may need to go foraging for nettles and acorns.

I love this season!