When you became a vegetarian, you quickly learned it wasn’t just about skipping pepperoni on that pizza. You had to start scanning labels for ingredients like capric acid, tallow, rennet, glycerin, whey, suet, stereate and emulsifiers – because eating animal fat by any other name would be just as carnivorous. What you may not know is that plenty of common foods widely considered to be veg-friendly (or perhaps we should say veg-adjacent) actually contain animal fat, not just dairy fat. That means flesh. Read on to learn more.

Ice Cream

Ice cream is the one comfort food that temporarily heals all wounds. Unfortunately, you may be noshing on Bessie under all that chocolate sauce. Many brands of ice cream contain capric acid, a fatty acid that’s obtained from animal fats. Check the label!

Chocolate

I hate to break it to you – I really do – but that chocolate sauce your pour over your sundaes may not be any better than the ice cream underneath it. Emulsifiers are present in chocolate, which may or may not be derived from animal fat. The problem is that most labels don’t specify the difference, so you’re better off sticking to ones that do.

Cheese

Animal rennet is used in the production of many different kinds of cheese. What is animal rennet, you ask? It’s a coagulating enzyme that’s extracted from a freshly-slaughtered calf’s stomach. But, that doesn’t mean you have to struggle through a life without cheese. Just buy vegetarian cheese instead, which substitutes microbial or fungal enzymes for animal rennet.

Pastries

Have you ever seen a pork tart behind the glass at your local café? You might want to take a closer look. Many pastries are prepared using lard, which is rendered fat from a pig’s abdomen or kidneys. Similar baked goods may also contain capric acid.

Chewing Gum

There’s no better way to appease an oral fixation than with a big lump of chewing gum, but gnawing on toothpicks might be a better option for vegetarians. If you see lanolin, stearic acid or glycerin on the label, you may as well snack on a stick of beef jerky. All of these ingredients are made from animal fat.

Potato Chips

Ever wonder why you can’t just eat a handful of potato chips? I used to think it was the salt, until I discovered that many brands are soaked in tallow (fat from membranous tissue in cattle) before hitting the shelves at the grocery store. And, here you thought you were just chomping on some greasy, deep-fried potatoes. I find this to be incredibly unfair.

Hard Candy

Believe it or not, hard candies like these aren’t entirely free of animal products, and many of them contain calcium stereate. This ingredient is actually derived from tallow, better known as animal fat.

For more ingredients you should look out for, click here, here and here.

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My New Year’s resolution? When the clock struck midnight, I vowed to cut my sugar intake by eliminating sweet treats like cookies, chocolate and soda from my diet.

On the first day of 2010, I ate strawberry yogurt for breakfast, snacked on a granola bar before lunch, sipped on vitamin water and enjoyed a savory serving of pasta for dinner. At the end of the day, I was feeling pretty good about my fresh start. That is, until I read the labels. As it turns out, I had consumed almost 100 grams of sugar (more than twice the recommended daily amount) in this so-called attempt at eating healthier.

This whole debacle prompted me to do some research on sugar-packed snacks that masquerade as health foods. Here are the most deceiving culprits:

Breakfast Bars

Sure, they may have less sugar than a glazed doughnut, but breakfast bars (shown above) aren’t nearly as healthy as you may think. Nature Valley’s Vanilla Yogurt Granola Bars and Nutri-Grain’s Cereal Bars cram 13 grams of sugar into a single serving. Being organic doesn’t make Health Valley’s Cereal Bars any better; they’ll even get you one gram closer to your daily sugar limit.

Vitamin Water

A bottle of vitamin water fuels your body with much more than just a dose of nutrients. That burst of energy you feel upon taking the last sip is just a sugar high in disguise. A 20-ounce bottle of Glaceu’s Vitamin Water or Snapple’s Antioxidant Water contains more than 30 grams of sugar. Take some vitamins and drink a glass of water, instead.

Cereal

Every time you walk down the cereal aisle, you say “no” to Tony the Tiger and refuse to go cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs. But even cereals that trade in a colorful mascot for wholesome claims can pack one sugary punch. Take Kellog’s Smart Start Strong Heart cereal. Despite its misleading name, one cup contains a whopping 14 grams of sugar.

Spaghetti Sauce

Just because you don’t taste the sweetness doesn’t mean there isn’t sugar lurking somewhere beneath the maters. Believe it or not, there are 14 grams of sugar in a half-cup of Newman’s Own Tomato and Basil Sauce and Bertolli’s Vineyard Marinara. Mama Mia!

Bran Muffins

You choke down every last bite of a bland bran muffin with your morning coffee and pat yourself on the back for making your fiber quota. Whoa there! Don’t be so quick to equate lack of flavor with nutritional value. There are over 20 grams of sugar in a bran muffin from Starbucks, and those from your local grocer probably aren’t very far behind.

Dried Fruit

Fruit is already naturally sweet, so why would dried fruit contain an excess of added sugar? Don’t turn to logic when debating what snacks to buy; just stick to the facts. There are 26 grams of sugar in a single serving of Ocean Spray’s Craisins and 30 grams of sugar in the same amount of Sun-Maid’s Natural California Raisins.

Juice

Tip of the day: although labels like “all natural” and “100% juice” sound healthy, it would be a wise choice to just ignore them. Despite the wholesome promise of such statements stamped on the carton in big, bold print, a serving of Langer’s Apple Juice contains 26 grams of sugar and the same amount of Minute Maid Orange Juice follows close behind with 24 grams of sugar. You are better off just eating the fruit and sipping water.

Flavored Yogurt

Yogurt is hailed as one of the healthiest foods you can eat. It’s known to boost your metabolism and even improve your immunity. On the other hand, it can also push you over the limit for your daily sugar intake. Just to put it in perspective, a 6-ounce container of Yoplait Strawberry Yogurt is crammed with 27 grams of sugar. Your best bet? Stick to plain yogurt and add slices of fruit for flavor.

Instant Oatmeal

There’s just not enough time in the morning to make it from scratch, it’s so convenient to have each serving prepackaged, it’s much more flavorful than plain oatmeal… Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’ve heard (and used) every excuse in the book. But these justifications still don’t change that fact that a serving of Quaker’s Flavored Instant Oatmeal can contain as much as 14 grams of sugar. If you must do instant, hung for the natural, low sugar options.

Bottled Iced Tea

There are 26 grams of sugar in 8-ounces of Coca-Cola, while the same amount of Snapple Lemon Iced Tea contains 24 grams of sugar. Enough said.

It’s easy to overlook the high amount of sugar in seemingly healthy foods, but a quick visit to Sugar Stacks is sure to set you straight. This eye-opening site feature images of food and beverages with sugar cubes stacked next to them to represent the amount of sugar in each item. For more information, check out Sugar Shockers on Web MD.

Image Credits: Flickr: yujai, graciepoo, Deb’s Designs and Creations, disneymike, erincooks, Yes Becky, Rhadamon, vigilant20, Marni Molina, fred_fred

‘Tis the (cold and flu) season, and it’s time to stock up on immune boosting foods like oranges, garlic and Kellogg’s Cocoa Krispies.

Yes, that’s right. Kellogg’s is claiming that all the vitamins they’ve sprinkled onto their sweetened, processed puffs will help your child’s immune system. It’s boldly emblazoned across the box, so it must be true!

Vitamins aside for a moment, has anyone forgotten the negative immune impact of sugar? I haven’t, but one wonders if Kellogg’s is exercising some selective memory techniques. The second ingredient on the Cocoa Krispies label (quickly followed by high fructose corn syrup), sugar raises the body’s general acidity, making you more prone to illnesses of all kinds.

As for vitamins: the best ones come from whole foods sources like…well, like oranges and garlic. In order to get the necessary nutrients your body needs, you can eat actual, whole foods or take vitamins from brands such, as New Chapter, ,that derive their supplements from actual food extracts (with a small dose of probiotics to help you digest them better). The vitamins you’ll find in Cocoa Krispies, on the other hand, tend to have the bad habit of washing away in the milk.

Conclusion? Cereal is not medicine, particularly the cracklin’ candy sort. Opt for serving your tots a hot, yummy bowl of real, organic whole-grain oatmeal with fresh, organic fruit for a true immunity boost this season.

For good reason, Ralph Lauren is distancing himself  from this extremely altered photo of model Filippa Hamilton, who at 5′10″ and 120 pounds was allegedly fired for being too fat to wear the designer’s Town and Country fashions.

Last week, the website BoingBoing posted the image online, upsetting the Lauren team for the bad p.r. which suggests the fashion house likes its models emaciated. According to Shine, public interest prodded the company to offer an apology for the “poor imaging and retouching that resulted in a very distorted image of a woman’s body.” They said they would take every precaution to prevent such sloppy Photoshop gaffes in the future.

Lauren had threatened to sue BoingBoing over copyright infringement. To this, the website suggested, that instead:

“Copyright law doesn’t give you the right to threaten your critics for pointing out the problems with your offerings. You should know better. And every time you threaten to sue us over stuff like this, we will:

a) Reproduce the original criticism, making damned sure that all our readers get a good, long look at it, and;

b) Publish your spurious legal threat along with copious mockery, so that it becomes highly ranked in search engines where other people you threaten can find it and take heart; and

c) Offer nourishing soup and sandwiches to your models.”

Lauren won’t admit to firing Hamilton, a size 4 beauty who has been modeling for the brand since she was 15. She was reportedly let go “as a result of her inability to meet the obligations under contract,” but Hamilton argues it’s all a ruse.

“They fired me because they said I was overweight and I couldn’t fit in their clothes anymore,” she said. “I was shocked to see that super skinny girl with my face..It’s very sad, I think, that Ralph Lauren could do something like that.” Meantime, the model says she hasn’t gained weight, but sample sizes are getting smaller.

Hamilton isn’t the only victim of Photoshop manipulation. Singer Kelly Clarkson saw her shape drastically altered for the August cover of Self Magazine.

I’ve noticed, too, the svelte Twiggy look is back, despite all the groundwork by health advocates to change the unrealistic body images of women perpetrated on women by those who rule the industry – Anna Wintour and her cronies. Smaller models are once again in Vogue, sending the wrong messages to our daughters and all women.

According to Examiner, Cosmopolitan editor Kate White has offered Phillipa an 8-page spread in her magazine after hearing about the travesty.

Images: BoingBoing, Shine, People

I live in Arizona, a hot and arid land, not generally thought of as a farmer’s paradise, and especially not a place that would produce any highly nutritious, medicinal food that could feed the world. But it can.

Like other arid landscapes around the world, Arizona is rich in mesquite. Yes, you’ve heard of mesquite barbecue and mesquite honey, and this is the tree from which those products come. Mesquite’s rock-hard seed pods were stone ground by native Sonoran people and eaten as a staple for centuries before anyone showed up with wheat, rice or grocery stores.

Because of its sweet, caramel-like flavor and high nutritional value, I’ve been using mesquite powder in my smoothies and desserts for a while now. Mesquite’s sweetness comes from fructose, which makes it ideal for diabetics, and people who want to avoid gluten can bake with mesquite flour.

Benefits of Mesquite:
High in protein.
Good quantities of calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and zinc.
Rich in the amino acid lysine.
An ideal sweetener for diabetics (it is fructose based).
Can be used as a gluten-free flour for baking.

Not to mention, this humble tree grows like a weed, thrives in poor soil and needs very little water.

So why aren’t there more mesquite orchards in our dry southwestern states? Simply because there hasn’t been a demand. Most mesquite powder comes from South America, but I was thrilled to find locally grown mesquite at my town’s farmer’s market. The Arizona Mesquite Company might be the only commercial mesquite orchard in the country.

So give this incredible desert food a try and better yet, buy it American.

Image: kretyen

So you think beauty is only skin deep? It actually goes much deeper; beauty has a lot to do with your diet, too. Although topical creams and oils can help your skin and hair look more radiant, the best way to glow is from within – and that means eating right. So think twice about filling up that beauty drawer with ever more cosmetics and spend the money on these delicious foods instead.

Requirements for Radiant Skin

Antioxidants. These protect your skin from the damaging effects of UV radiation and may help prevent skin cancer. Foods high in antioxidants include green tea, citrus fruits, cacao, blueberries, prunes and leafy green vegetables like kale and spinach.

Hydration. If you’re thirsty, so is your skin! It’s essential to drink plenty of water (filtered or spring water) every day, but juicy fruits and vegetables (like apples, strawberries, watermelons and celery) help with your hydration needs.

Selenium. This mineral is used by your body to create a protein with antioxidant properties. The absolute best source for selenium is a handful of brazil nuts. If you can’t find those, other nuts will do. Fish, turkey, whole wheat pasta and brown rice will also help, but nothing compares to nuts!

Omega-3 Fatty Acids. Omega-3’s maintain healthy cell membranes to keep your cells hydrated and free of toxins. Hemp, flax and chia seeds are excellent sources of Omega-3’s. Wild salmon, walnuts and sardines can also give your skin cells a boost.

Handbook for Healthy Hair

Vitamins A and C. These vitamins help your body produce sebum, the oil secreted by hair follicles that serves as a natural conditioner. (Beware shampoos that strip away too much oil and leave your hair dry!) Spinach, broccoli, kale and Swiss chard are great sources for both of these vitamins.

Protein. Your hair needs plenty of protein to grow. Beans, lentils and other legumes are great sources of protein, iron and zinc.

Snacks for a Super Smile

Avoid Processed and Refined Carbs. Chewy carbohydrates like bread and crackers tend to get stuck under the gums and promote bacterial growth. Drink plenty of water with meals and snacks to wash all those little food particles away.

Polyphenols. Found in black and green teas, polyphenols prevent plaque and reduce the chance of developing cavities.

Cranberries. These tart berries have a compound that prevents bacteria from sticking to teeth and gums, but make sure your cranberry juice isn’t loaded with extra sugar or else, what’s the point?

It makes sense that balance in your body shows up as beauty on the outside, and whole, healthy foods will keep you looking and feeling fantastic. The emphasis here is on whole foods, not supplements. Although supplements can be good for people who have a particular deficiency, it’s always better to get your nutrition from the best foods you can find. Eat well and be beautiful!

Read more at the State.

Image: lanuiop

From gardening to urban foraging, home-grown greens to composting, it’s all about getting creative (and local) with your meals. I decided to research foods I can forage in my own neck of the woods, but there are plenty of options wherever you are, too. Go forage!

Mushrooms

Before you begin gathering wild mushrooms, identify any poisonous species that grow in your area. Although most are edible, it’s better to play it safe. Also, never eat them raw and stay away from those that have been damaged by insects.

Watercress

This pungent perennial potherb typically grows near bodies of water, so make sure the water source is clean before consuming it. Since watercress can be eaten raw, all you have to do is cut the stem off and rinse it with cold water.

Common Chickweed

Widespread throughout the country, this annual plant yields a distinct star-shaped flower. Its leaves and stems are edible and can be eaten raw. Typically dismissed as a pesky weed, common chickweed is a rich source of potassium and calcium.

Wild Rice

These tall grasses flourish in large colonies in rivers and streams and can easily be foraged with the help of a canoe or small boat. Similar to reeds in appearance, wild rice is a great source of protein, and its stems, root shoots and grains are all edible.

Clover

This cosmopolitan genus is easy to find in the wilderness. Its seeds are edible, and its dried flower heads can be used to brew tea. You can eat its leaves raw, just immerse them in salt water first to help with digestion.

Burdock

These biennial thistles thrive in open meadows and gardens, but they are not useless weeds. You can peel the leaf stalks and eat them raw, and their taproot is edible as well. Be careful not to mistake this plant for the belladonna (deadly nightshade), which is poisonous.

Dandelions

This flowering weed runs rampant throughout the country, and its seeds, crowns, roots, leaves and flower petals are all edible.

Milkweed

Milkweed is edible but can potentially contain cardiac glycosides, which are toxic. So, it’s critical that you prepare this wild plant with care before consuming it. Steep the whole plant in water and rub the wool off young shoots. You can then boil them. The seed pods are edible, too.

Thistles

(shown at top)

These flowering plants grow in the wild on open fields throughout the country. Distinguished by its spiky leaves, thistles can serve as a tasty potherb. Just cut off the leaves’ sharp tips, peel the rind off the root and use salt water to boil these parts of the plant.

Cattails

These tall monocots flourish in or near bodies of water. Peel away the outer layer of the shoots to reveal a white core, use clean water to rinse them off and eat these tender shoots raw or cooked. High in starch, their roots are also edible.

Yucca

Yucca is most common in arid climates, and its petals can be eaten raw. The fruit found on its stalk can also be eaten raw, as long as the inside appears white.

Persimmons

Considered “the fruit of the gods” by the ancient Greeks, this orange fruit typically grows on trees in temperate climates. Soft when ripe, persimmons can be eaten raw, and you can also roast its seeds to make coffee.

Prickly Pear

This cactus-like plant flourishes in dry soil in southern regions of the country, and both its pad and pear are edible. To eat the pad, cut off the spines using a paring knife, roast them and peel away the outer layer. To eat the pear, just remove its spines and skin.

Bulrush

Bulrush typically grows in or around swamps, and its roots, stems and seeds are all edible, whether cooked or raw.

Lamb’s Quarters

Many people mistake this fast-growing annual plant for a worthless weed, but lamb’s quarters are actually edible and quite nutritious. The seeds are a healthy snack and the leaves and stems taste similar to spinach when cooked.

Leeks

Resembling onions in appearance and smell, wild leeks commonly emerge during springtime deep in the forests. Both their leaves and bulbs are edible and can be eaten raw, steamed, fried or baked.

Wild Carrot

Though tougher and woodier than those you buy at the grocery store, the wild carrot grows in dry fields, and its roots are edible. Just be careful not to mistake it with similar poisonous species like water hemlocks and fool’s parsley.

Arrowhead

Arrowheads typically grow sparsely in stagnant bodies of water. Attached to the root of this aquatic plant, the tuber resembles a potato and is best peeled and roasted.

Spring Beauty

Emerging at the start of the season, spring beauty thrives in moist woodlands. Just pull the narrow leaves that protrude from the ground to reveal its fleshly corms, peel away the outer layer, rinse off the corm, cook it or consume it raw.

Wild Onion

Found on various landscapes, such as rocky slopes, prairies and forests, the wild onion smells and tastes similar to its domestic counterpart. Just peel off the outer layers and boil the bulb in a pot of salt water.

For more information about edible plants, check out parts one and two of Common Edible Wild Plants, browse through this comprehensive list of Edible Wild Plants or search the Edible Wild Plants Index by environment, season or food type.

What wild fruits, vegetables, roots or grasses grow in your area?

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The higher the test score the better, right? Not when it comes to your cholesterol. If yours is climbing over 200, it’s time to take action. But there’s a much more natural solution than popping prescription medicines. Unless you’re in the red zone, a few simple changes in diet can make all the difference. Try these tasty organic treats.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal is rich in soluble fiber, which cuts down the amount of cholesterol your intestines absorb. Aim for at least 10 grams each day to reduce your low-density lipoprotein levels.

Salmon

Two servings per week of wild salmon pump your body with enough omega-3 fatty acids to lower blood pressure and LDL cholesterol and boost your high-density lipoproteins.

Olive Oil

Powerful antioxidants present in olive oil decrease the low-density lipoproteins in your system. Extra-virgin olive oil is most effective.

Almonds

Almonds are a great source of plant sterols, which impede your body’s absorption of cholesterol. (But, don’t overdo it because they’re also crammed with calories.)

Avocados

Unsaturated fats in avocados augment your body’s level of high-density proteins and lower the risk of diabetes and heart disease.

Blueberries

Blueberries contain copious amounts of pterostilbene, a compound that is known to effectively cut cholesterol. Eat all you like!

Pistachios

Pistachios are loaded with selenium, an antioxidant that prevents coronary artery disease.

Walnuts

Walnuts contain a plentiful supply of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which help lower cholesterol and maintain the healthy, elastic texture of blood vessels.

Tuna

Like salmon, tuna is full of omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce levels of low-density lipoproteins and triglycerides. (Be sure to buy from sustainable sources.)

Apples

An abundant source of both soluble and insoluble fibers, an apple a day really can keep the doctor away by lowering cholesterol, preventing arteries from hardening and protecting your body against heart attacks and strokes.

Brown Rice

Whole brown rice contains oils that reduce your body’s cholesterol level, not to mention its profusion of fiber and magnesium.

Cinnamon

Treat yourself to a teaspoon of cinnamon each day to decrease the amount of low-density lipoproteins and triglycerides in your system.

Grapes

To resist mold, grapes naturally produce flavonoids. This multi-purpose compound also prevents platelet clumping and free radical damage in LDL cholesterol.

Strawberries

Antioxidants present in strawberries cut low-density lipoproteins and keep them from oxidizing, a process that makes this type of cholesterol even more damaging.

Broccoli

Like oatmeal, beans and apples, broccoli is plentiful in soluble fiber, which does wonders for high cholesterol.

Hazelnuts

The monosaturated fats found in hazelnuts reduce LDL cholesterol and protect against coronary artery disease.

Sunflower Seeds

Like almonds, sunflower seeds are a rich source of plant sterols, which block cholesterol.

Whole Grain

Take your pick: whole grain bagels, waffles, bread, muffins, crackers, pancakes, seasoned popcorn (no butter), or cooked whole grains like amaranth and quinoa and more decrease the risk of atherosclerosis and heart disease. Ingesting 5 grams or more on a daily basis should do the trick.

Beans

Packed with vegetable protein and soluble fiber, dishes like hummus and bean soup, dip or salad keep high cholesterol at bay.

Garlic (shown at top)

In addition to preventing blood clots and killing fungi and bacteria, the chemical allicin found in garlic can help lower your cholesterol. But, you might want to keep some breath mints on hand.

The bottom line? More plants! Eating lower on the food chain is just as good for you as it is for the planet.

P.S. Don’t forget to make organic, local, seasonal choices when possible.

Source: wikipedia

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In Japanese cooking, the different misos are used in different regional preparations. You can use any variety you like in miso soup. This basic and fast recipe utilizes the dashi broth we’ve published before. Miso soup at its most basic includes only green onions and tofu squares. Feel free to customize your soup with mushrooms, greens, sea vegetables, seafood, meat, or soba or udon noodles. When making miso soup, it is important not to boil the miso in the broth because it will destroy the beneficial bacteria in the miso.

Miso Soup

Serves 2

4 cups dashi broth
1 cup firm tofu, cut into small squares
4 tablespoons red, white, or yellow miso paste
3 green onions, both green and white parts, sliced

Bring the broth to a boil. Add the tofu and any of the optional ingredients mentioned above. Simmer until all the ingredients are tender and cooked through. Remove from heat and add the miso. Whisk to blend thoroughly and dissolve. Garnish each serving with green onions.

Note: use organic, local ingredients when possible.

Image: adactio

Sarah clued us in on the wonders of the artichoke, and since the season’s first spiny lovelies are just appearing in the market, here’s a simple, streamlined recipe to inspire you.

Artichokes make a great appetizer or side dish. These accompanied sautéed petrale sole and roasted potatoes. The roasted artichokes make a great base for risotto, pasta, or pizza, as well.

This recipe calls for small or medium artichokes, not the giant globe kind. These smaller artichokes are easier to prepare, as the choke is not fully developed. When trimming artichokes, it may seem wasteful to take so many of the outer leaves off, but you really can’t eat them, so compost them! This recipe easily expands to serve more people. Green garlic is simply young garlic, picked before the cloves are fully developed. It’s a special, short season treat and it has a milder flavor than mature garlic. Like artichokes it is a harbinger of spring so the two make a great pair. You will need two lemons total. If Meyer lemons are available, use those, as they are perfect for this recipe. And of course, use organic ingredients from your local farmers’ market whenever you can. And for all you anchovy haters (or vegetarians) out there, yes, you can leave out the anchovies if you must but they do add a special something.

Roasted Artichokes with Lemon Anchovy Caper Vinaigrette

Serves 2

For artichokes:

2 medium or 8 baby artichokes
1 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
Salt

For the vinaigrette:

2 – 3 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped green garlic (use regular garlic if green garlic is not in season, but use only 1-2 teaspoons)
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
1 heaping half teaspoon capers, finely chopped
1 anchovy filet, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

To prepare the artichokes:

Ready a bowl large enough to accommodate the artichokes and fill it with water. Squeeze the lemon into the water, reserving the rind. Cut off the bottom 1/2 inch of the artichoke stems and discard. Cut off the top 1/2 inch of the artichokes.

As you work, rub the artichokes with the lemon flesh still clinging to the reserved rind. Working from the bottom up, bend back the outer leaves until they snap off close to base, discarding them as you go, until you reach the tender, light yellow-green leaves. Continue to rub with lemon occasionally.

With a paring knife, trim the dark green outer layer from the base and stem. Halve the artichokes lengthwise if using babies, and quarter if using medium artichokes. If the choke is furry, scoop it out with a spoon. It might not have developed yet. Drop the artichokes into lemon water as you work.

To cook:

When all the artichokes are prepped, drain them, pat them dry and toss them with the olive oil, the sliced garlic, and salt to taste. Transfer them to a roasting pan or baking sheet and roast in a single layer for 15-20 minutes (for baby artichokes) or 30-40 minutes (for medium artichokes), or until they are tender and beginning to brown.

Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette:

Whisk together the lemon juice, green or regular garlic, shallot, capers, anchovies, parsley, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve the artichokes warm or room temperature drizzled with the vinaigrette.

Recipe Copyright 2009 Vanessa Barrington

Note: use organic, local ingredients whenever possible.

Image: FotoosVanRobin