For us it is always special to add a flower to our plate. It is the same with eating artichoke. Somehow there is this magic to it. Of course an artichoke needs to come with a sauce which enhances the taste but does not cover it up too much.
My (Bene’s) first encounter with artichoke was during my stay in France in 9th or 10th grade. As an exchange student I lived there a whole summer.
During summer holidays, which are about three month long in France, my guest family and I went to the Alps. Near the italian border, close to the city of Briancon we visited the grandparents for a week.
The house was situated on a slope of the mountain a decent bit above the city itself. The driveway to get there was just wide enough to fit a car. It was going up in serpentines until it reached the house. Right below the house was a huge terace and a small creek ran along the house.
There was neither a fence nor a wall to mark the property, so I got the impression of unlimited freedom. There was just the amazing view and the smell of wild lavender blooming.
Due to the fact, that my guest mother and her children had a six hour drive everybody came over the first evening to eat together. For me it was a remarkable but very nice experience, though I could not speak a single word of french back then.
A long table was set up on the terace and tons of food were on it. My exchange students aunt asked me in broken german if I knew Pastis. As I said no, she filled a glas of this anise spirit and handed it to me. Not only did I come to know alcohol on this evening but also artichoke with garlic dip. Never before had I seen this flower nor eaten it.
Everytime I prepare an artichoke today, more than ten years onward from that evening in the Alpes, I think about it and get overwhelmed by the nostalgia of this moment.
Though I did not come to know the “original” recipe of the artichoke garlic dip, this one gets pretty close to it.
Tip
The dip not only suits artichokes but goes well with all other kinds of vegetables and bread.
Ingredients
- 150gr sour cream
- 1 tsp mustard
- 1 tsp mayonaise
- 1 clove of fresh garlic
- 1/2 tspthyme
- salt
- pepper
Preparation
1. chop the garlic finley with a knive
2. scatter some rough ground salt on it an press the garlic with the flat side of a knive.
3. mix sour cream, mustard and mayonaise. Add the garlic salt mixture and stirr well.
4. At last add thyme and finish of with salt and pepper after your liking.
We hope you like it and experience equally beautiful moments with artichokes and garlic dip.
Mirja and Bene