garlicky artichokes + tarragon aoili

& a hibiscus strawberry refresher!

for me, an entire globe of artichoke & a glass of crispy white wine is all I want sitting outside on a summer day. for the longest time, I didn’t understand the artichoke hype - especially being around my boyfriend’s italian family that always ordered them at dinner. it was actually at one of these dinners that I tried an artichoke for the first time (aside from the marinated hearts in a jar from costco my mom would buy) I scraped my teeth into the leaf and got the smallest amount of whatever in my mouth, then proceeded to put it down on my plate and ask alex “wtf was the point of that”

ah, how foolish of me. it’s not about the destination with the artichoke, it’s the ride. the act of having a snacky bit by your side to dip into a dipping sauce of your choice - a tarragon preserved lemon aoili in this case. then before you know it, your plate has turned into a small heaping mountain of leaves and you’ve reached the Mecca - the heart. the ultimate sign of love is letting someone have it (unless you planned ahead to each have your own, which yes you should)

talking about this has me reliving this dish all over again and I must make them again soon, enjoyed al fresco in the beautiful summer sun with a cold glass of something <333

which speaking of eating outside, summer flavors and all - I’ve also been fully obsessed with making fun little refreshers at home. last week’s flavor was hibiscus strawberry. I batched a pitcher of it in my fridge and pull it out whenever I need a fresh bevy - especially on a long walk, love.

I partnered with Stanley 1913 who sent me some new color ways from their Oasis Collection and I swear these tumblers have not left my hand. the stripes, the colors!!!!! I need to be poolside staaaat. alex makes fun of me all the time because I’m the slowest drinker ever (unless it’s a cocktail, which soon enough this will be used for a spritz poolside) so using their H2.0 Quenchers to keep everything crispy cold for hours is everything to me. match with me here!

and I’ll have the recipe below so you can make it at home too!

strawberry hibiscus refresher

• 3 hibiscus tea bags (or 3 tbsp dried hibiscus flower)

• 1 cup boiling water

• 2 cups cold water

• 16 oz coconut water

• 3 limes, juiced

• 3-4 tbsp sugar, to taste

• diced fresh strawberries for garnish (recommend if making pitcher fresh for day of)

• 3-4 tbsp of the simple syrup, or to taste!

strawberry simple syrup:

• 3/4 cup strawberries, diced

• 1/3 cup of water

• 1/3 cup of granulated sugar

1. for the strawberry simple syrup: add the 1/2 cup water to a medium saucepan with the sugar and strawberries. allow the sugar to dissolve then simmer on medium low until the strawberries break down - about 8-10 minutes. remove from heat, strain and set aside

2. in a heatproof bowl, pour the boiling water over the tea bags and let steep for 5 minutes. remove the tea bags then add the 2 cups of cooled water.

3. add the lime juice to a pitcher, then the coconut water, then the cooled tea. add 3 tbsp of the simple syrup (or less and go little by little) if storing in the fridge, store without ice. to serve, pour over a big cup full of ice and siiip and enjoy!

   

garlicky artichokes + tarragon aoili

• 2 large globe artichokes

• 6 garlic cloves, grated

• 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

• good pinch of salt + fresh black pepper

• juice and zest of 1 lemon, plus an additional lemon for the ice bath + serving

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 2 tbsp finely chopped tarragon

1. add a few inches of water to a large pot and bring to a boil. place a steamer basket in the water so the water remains below the surface - spill some out if necessary. if you don’t have a steamer basket you can also use a colander or five mesh sieve with a pot that will let it securely sit across the top.

2. to prep the artichokes: set a bowl with cold water aside. squeeze half a lemon inside. now, using a sharp knife, cut the tip of the artichoke off - about 1/4 of the way. using a pair of kitchen scissors, snip the sharp tips off all of the outer leaves. cut the artichoke in half lengthwise, and use a spoon to scoop out the fuzzy choke inside. hence the name, you will choke and prob die if you eat it idk just remove it. doing so over a bowl helps contain the mess. there’s alot of back and forth with removing it before or after cooking them and I like to do it before so the cleaning is done and I don’t have to worry about that nonsense later. remove any purple-tipped small inner leaves as well. trim the stem with a knife and using a vegetable peeler, peel the stem.

3. place the artichokes in the water as you finish them to avoid them going brown. set aside.

4. in the meantime, make your lemon/herb/gremolata mix. add all the ingredients to a small bowl and stir. removing one artichoke at a time from the water, use a spoon to add about 1 tbsp of the oil mixture into the center of each artichoke and then using your hands, massage the mixture in between each layer and leaf. use more if needed - just get a generous amount in between each layer. set aside and continue with the remaining 3 halves. set aside the remaining oil for finishing them when plating.

5. once done, place them cut side up in the steamer basket and cover them, steaming on medium heat for about 20-25 minutes depending on the size of the artichoke. to check for doneness - poke a knife in the heart - it should be tender. the inner leaves should also be pulled out easily.

6. remove the hearts from the steam and set aside. heat a large stainless steel pan until hot, then add a bit of avocado oil. lay the artichokes, cut side down in the hot pan and cook on medium high until browned, about 4-5 minutes. continue cooking them on the other side for just another minute or two.

7. transfer the artichokes to a serving plate with a small bowl of the aoili and lemon wedges to serve. drizzle some of the remaining extra oil mixture on top of the leaves and finish with flaky salt.

8. to eat, pluck off a leaf, dip in the aoili, and scrape the leaf with your teeth to remove the teeny tiny pocket of meat at the bottom tip. ahhhh perfect perfect perfect :)

I hope you try these! tag me if you do!

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xoxo

katie