One of the things I miss most about Boston is a hot, hot summer. I miss not having impromptu grilled dinners with good friends. I miss dinners al fresco, sometimes with something as simple as a salad. That’s because San Francisco is insidiously cold. The days are, more often than not, lovely and sunny. The evenings are just cold. In fact, I turn on the heat more here than I ever did in the coldest of winters in Boston. San Francisco homes are just not built with enough insulation. Which is just plain silly, considering that evenings can get a bit nippy. Fortunately, heat is cheap here, compared to Boston.
What does all this have to do with a food blog anyways? Because I am always cold, I always want warm, comfortable food. As such, I’ve neglected the art of the salad, even though I make some very excellent salads. For the last week, I’ve rediscovered the salad, in an effort to continue minimizing meat and to eliminate starchy carbs (rice, pasta, beans, bread, and yes, the potato). Even if it’s cold, dammit, I will eat a salad.
The first night of my new resolve, I had only fresh arugula and zucchini in the fridge. But I had frozen artichokes. I love artichokes, and I have made this salad before with fresh artichokes. Trust me, it is time consuming. But frozen is completely acceptable and easy. I serve this with a garlicky honey lemon dressing.
Artichoke and Zucchini Salad
Makes 1 entree serving
Ingredients
1/2 package frozen artichokes
1/2 zucchini, sliced thin lengthwise (pick a thin one)
1 bunch arugula or mixed greens
Small dash of olive oil
Salt to taste
Dressing
1 garlic clove, smashed and chopped
1 tsp honey
Juice of 1 lemon (I had meyer lemons!)
Extra virgin olive oil equal to lemon juice
salt and black pepper to taste
Drizzle a bit of olive oil in a pan and warm over medium heat. When hot enough, add in artichokes (they can be thawed, but I usually just add them fresh out of the freezer). Shake around, add a pinch of salt, and let artichokes brown and caramelize. Keep tossing until browned and no longer frozen.
While artichoke is sauteeing, rinse zucchini and pat dry. Using a slicer, make thin long slices. It’s okay if they’re different in width. Use just half and save the other half.
In a small bowl, add chopped garlic, honey, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Whisk quickly until well mixed and dressing is thickened.
Place bunch of artichokes and zucchini in mixing bowl, drizzle small amount of dressing (or however much you want) over it, and toss quickly.
To serve, add one bunch of arugula to salad bowl or plate, and heap zucchini and artichokes on top. Eat immediately.
