Prep List
Clean, poach, and marinate artichokes
Clean, de-stem, and quarter cremini mushrooms
Make mostarda
Prep salad ingredients
Marinate Artichokes
The polyphenols found in artichokes brown when they react with air, making it very important to move quickly and use acidulated water whenever working with them. To begin, set up a large pot with water and juice from three lemons. Place the artichoke on its side and remove the end of the stem as well as the top third of the pointed leaves. Tear away the outermost tough leaves around the bottom of the artichoke, return the artichoke to its side, and split it in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scrape away the feathery inedible center of the artichoke and discard. Lastly, using either a spoon or a paring knife (whichever you’re most comfortable with) peel away the tough outer-layer of the stem. This is of course all completely unnecessary if you’re using canned artichokes, in which case all you have to do is drain and rinse them, and then carry on with the steps listed below.
To poach and marinate artichokes, place the pot with lemon water, salt, and artichokes over medium low heat and simmer until they’re easily pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, about 15 minutes. Drain and reserve. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a medium pot, split one head of garlic crosswise, and sear the cut-side until slightly golden. Add one bunch of both fresh thyme and fresh tarragon along with a large splash of white wine. Reduce by half. Add two cups of olive oil, bring to a boil, and remove from heat. Add juice from one lemon, and pour the hot mixture over the artichokes. Marinate for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight (refrigerated).
Cremini Mushrooms
Wash mushrooms under cold water using a paper towel to remove dirt and debris. Remove stem and reserve. Cut mushroom cap into quarters and refrigerate uncovered until ready to use.
Make Mostarda
This is an overnight process, but one that’s definitely worth the effort. If you’ve never had mostarda di frutta before, prepare to meet your new favorite condiment.
Peel and remove pits from peaches before cutting into bite-sized chunks. Place in a large bowl and toss with 1/3 cup of sugar. In a small pot, combine dried cherries with just enough sweet white wine to cover. As far as the amount of dried cherries go, use your judgement. Personally, I like half cherries and half peaches in this mostarda, however if you love one or the other, add more or less of that fruit accordingly. Simmer cherries in wine for 10-15 minutes, remove from heat, and combine with the peaches in their bowl. Mix, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, pour off juices from the mixed fruit into a small saucepan and reduce over low heat until you have a thick syrup. Pour syrup over fruit once again, cover, and it let stand two hours. Drain syrup back into a larger saucepan (starting to see the process here?) and reduce to a very, very thick syrup. Add fruit to pan and stir to coat with the syrup. Combine one tablespoon of mustard powder with 2 tablespoons of white wine or apple cider vinegar, and incrementally add it to the fruit and syrup, tasting as you go. You can use as little or as much of this as you like, it’s all about what you prefer. Simmer the mixture for 10 minutes, remove from heat, and for those who want a bit more bite, stir in a few whole yellow mustard seeds. Cool, place in a container, and refrigerate.
Prep Salad
The key to any good salad is balance, and having ingredients that are as uniform as possible really enhances and highlights precisely that. In this salad, we’re going fro strips of anything that can be cut that way - lettuce, cheese, meat, etc. I’m not going to explain the finer of details of this because we’re all adults here. We have careers and spouses…some of us even have children.
I think we can handle a salad. Try not to burn it.