ARTICHOKE DAZE (Part 2)

 ARTICHOKE DAZE

Part 2

THE LITTLE LASAGNA ALLA VIGNAROLA  (sort of)

A Lasagne is 'stuff' layered between sheets of pasta.
Of course, the 'stuff' is important, be it meat, vegetables or a combination.
But the ultimate success of a lasagna depends on the quality of the pasta.
The sheets must be super thin so that they take a supporting and unifying role,
to the filling, but in reality the pasta makes or breaks the lasagna.

THE CAST OF CHARACTERS

Fave and Artichoke

Take equal amounts of cooked fave and artichokes

Cooked guanciale

Fry as much guanciale as possible until crispy, remove
from pan, leave fat. Fry half of a diced onion and a couple of
cloves of chopped garlic in the left over fat.
( or use olive oil if you are a sissy)

Besciamella

Prepare a white sauce (Besciamella). In a sauce pan melt
2 Tablespoons butter and add 2 Tablespoons flour.
These are equal amounts, if you want more sauce add more butter and flour.
Make a Roux and slowly add whole milk until it's all nice and creamy.
Mash the cooked fave and minced parsley and mint and add to the sauce.
Maybe, ( if no one is looking) add some grated Parmesan cheese.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Mint and Parsley minced

Besciamella with Fave and Herbs

THE ASSEMBLY

If you are near Castiglione Del Lago ( Umbria), go to The
Pasta Ladies ( next to the Esso Station) and buy fresh pasta sheets.
(Don't mention my name, they won't know who I am).
If not, buy or make fresh pasta. You can used dried, but it's not
as yummy. Pre-cook ( almost al dente) the pasta, rinse sheets in cold water
and place on a kitchen towel and pat dry.
Now in a small baking pan layer besciamella, artichokes, guanciale and
grated Pecorino cheese. Repeat layers until your 'stuff' is gone.
Italians usually have only 3 layers of pasta.

Top with more besciamella and grated cheese.

Bake in a preheated  375 degree F. oven ( 190 C.) for about 30-40 minutes
until golden or you can't stand to wait any longer. Let it rest
for about 10 minutes ( sorry).

Remember to wash it down with Red Wine.
BUON APPETITO!

ARTICHOKE DAZE....From the Studio To the Kitchen

ARTICHOKE DAZE
Part 1
From The Studio to the Kitchen

Artichokes Hanging
James Aponovich
Oil on canvas,  20" x 16"

In Italy, artichoke season runs from about January through April.
The Italians ( and me ) go crazy for them.

Artichoke
James Aponovich

They are steamed ( Romana), Fried ( Ebracio), sliced raw into salads, and in this
case made into Lasagne. You never see people dunking them into a bowl of butter, that seems to be an American thing, but it sure is good.
But, first things first, they must be painted.....INTO THE STUDIO!

5 Artichokes
James Aponovich
oil on canvas, 18" x 28"

Sort of like 'Ducks in a row'. They all sit very patiently for their portraits to
be painted. Now it's off to the kitchen and
OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!

THE FAVA PHASE

In early April, the first of the Fava Beans arrive in Italian  markets.
They are so tender they can (and are) eaten raw right out of the shell.
One day in Panicarola, I was standing in line waiting to buy some Fava Beans
when a man, who had nothing else to do, very carefully explained to me
the proper Umbrian method of eating Fave.

Pop some Fave Beans out of their shells
Cut a slice of Pecorino Cheese
Put both into your mouth
Chew
Wash everything down with Red Wine.


Great, but I was after something else. If this lady in front of me doesn't
wipe them all out, I'll but some for a culinary project.

A HAPPY COUPLE

After buying what was left, I went to Linda's Bottega and picked up a wedge of
Umbrian Pecorino ( sheep) cheese...Stagionata, great for grating.

VESTAL VIRGIN VIGNAROLA

In Rome, They make a vegetable 'stew' made up of equal amounts
of fave beans, artichokes, peas and lettuce, a little onion and olive oil.
It is all supported ( thankfully)by that great Italian bacon, guanciale
or pig jowl. Add some pecorino and mint...finito!
Hummm.....maybe they are onto something here.

The two Italian bacons : Guanciale on top  and pancetta below.
They may tell you that they are both the same.
Don't believe them.
Guanciale is King!

END OF PART 1

ARTICHOKES { A Year In Painting }

JAMES APONOVICH :  A YEAR IN PAINTING

VITEA E BREVIS

ARS E LONGUS

As our planet makes its journey around a star we call the Sun, I make my own journey in paintings. Each week I present some aspect of our shared life experiences through a medium of paint on canvas.

"Old men ought to be explorers."

                                - T.S. Eliot,  The Four Quartets

___________________________________________________

ARTICHOKES

James Aponovich

Hanging Artichokes

Oil on panel,  20" x 16"

"He was a very valiant man who first adventured on eating thistles."

                                                     -James Fuller

" I eat to live, not live to eat."

                                - my Mother

THE DAILY CHORE

I grew up in a house where eating was characterized as a necessary evil. The Original Sin redeux. It was all viewed as drudgery and dinner only became a stage for family fights. With the exception of corn in the summer, vegetables came in cans and for some reason, they all tasted the same. It wasn't until I was living on my own that I discovered that vegetables came fresh. One of the more mysterious among them was artichokes, armor plated, prickly and with an inedible, aptly named 'choke'. It was nasty and my mother proved right, it was a lot of work! Boiling, scraping, dissecting and eliminating the fuzzy choke. It was all a daunting task but the reward was there, for deep in the interior was the 'heart'. With only some olive oil or melted butter, lemon, salt and pepper it could outshine any meat. It is a glorious food and, from an artists eye, a very pleasing form.

SLICING AND DICING ( not just the veggies)

James Aponovich

Trasimeno Artichokes

Oil on canvas, 14" x 10"

So, here I was, lying on an operating table ( non-life threatening stuff) with my surgeon, hard at work (on me) telling me how much he loves artichokes. He had just seen my Trasimeno Artichokes painting and he was explaining in detail how he prepares them on the grill with olive oil, lemon, etc. His parents were born in Italy, they know artichokes and taught their son accordingly. I knew he belonged to the club.

ALL PAINTINGS, GREAT AND SMALL

Last week I posted a portrait of my friend Tonino, surrounding him are all sorts of objects, all related to his occupation, or in the case of Tonino, his passion. As a group they work just fine, but sometimes a single object is enough to carry a painting.

James Aponovich

Single Artichoke

Oil on canvas, 8" x 9"

Copyright 2017 James Aponovich

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