Thanksgiving vegetable side dishes

At this time of year when we are in a feasting mode, one or two extra vegetable dishes are always welcome. Instead of falling back on the usual suspects of sweet potatoes and green beans why not experiment and have your friends and family sit down to a dinner of comforts and surprises. Here are a handful of recipes that just might become holiday favorites.

TORTINO DI CARCIOFI E CARDI
Cardoons are one of the vegetables very popular in Mediterranean countries but sadly neglected by Americans. They are a member of the thistle family, related to artichokes. The thistle that it produces is not edible, but the stalks, which look like giant celery with thin, feathery silver leaves along the suede-like stalks, are delicious and have a flavor similar to artichoke, though slightly sweeter. In Italy, cardoons are served raw and cooked, but the variety found here are too large to eat raw. Ours need to be pre-cooked. In this recipe they are paired with their kin - the artichoke.

N.B. Artichokes and cardoons discolor if exposed to air after peeling or trimming. A flour and water mixture called a "bianco" prevents them from discoloring during trimming and cooking. To make a "bianco", stir together 1/4 C. flour, juice of 2 lemons, and 1/2 C. cool water in a non-aluminum pot until smooth. Add enough cool water to fill the pot half-way and add the squeezed lemon halves. As you trim the vegetables, add them directly to the bianco.

1 med. cardoon head, trimmed of the bitter side leaves, zip off the strings as you might do
with celery, cut into 3 in. pieces
6 artichokes, trimmed, cut in half, choke removed and discarded
1/4 C. flour
2 lemons cut in half
2 T. Salt
6 T. butter
1 - 2 C. chicken or vegetable broth (brodo)
1/2 C. breadcrumbs
1/2 C. Parmigiano
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 C. mint, chopped

After trimming and working with the cardoon and artichoke add it to a "bianco". Heat the "bianco" to boiling over high heat. Add salt. Boil each until tender.
Artichokes about 10-15 min. Cardoons about 30-45 min. Drain in colander.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter a baking dish and arrange the cardoons and artichokes in overlapping rows in the baking dish. Pour the brodo over the vegetables.

Mix together the remaining butter, breadcrumbs, garlic, mint, and cheese and dot the top of the casserole with this mixture. Bake until the top is browned, about 20 min. Serve hot.


GRATIN DI FINOCCHI
The bulbous part of the base of the fennel stalk is one of the most popular vegetables in Italy and the most commonly prepared winter vegetable.

6 fennel bulbs, cleaned, trimmed, discard the fronds
5 oz. Fontina cheese, sliced into strips
2 oz. unsalted butter
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Quarter the fennel bulbs and boil them in salted water for about 10 min. - until tender. Drain. Butter an ovenproof dish and arrange one layer of fennel across the bottom, season with salt and pepper. Scatter a layer of sliced Fontina over the fennel and sprinkle with nutmeg. Dot with half the remaining butter. Cover with a second layer of fennel, season with salt and pepper, and dot with the rest of the butter and the remaining cheese. Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 20 min or until the top is browned and bubbling hot.

SCAROLA IMBOTTITA
This specialty of Naples – escarole with a deliciously piquant filling of anchovies, capers, raisins and pine nuts - is a favorite for the holiday table. If you find that stuffing the heads of escarole is a bit tedious, simply add the condiments to sautéed escarole. One 1 lb head of escarole will serve 2-3 people.

1 medium head escarole (about 1 lb)
3 T. golden raisins, soaked in warm water, drained, chopped
1/2 C. breadcrumbs from day old rustic bread
4 anchovy fillets, rinsed, drained, chopped
2 T. pine nuts
2 T. salt-cured capers, rinsed and drained
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 T. grated Pecorino Romano cheese
freshly ground black pepper
2 T olive oil
1/2 C. chicken broth

In a medium bowl, combine the raisins, breadcrumbs, anchovies, pine nuts, capers, garlic, Pecorino Romano and black pepper. Thoroughly wash the head of escarole in cold water; trim the core end and discard any tired/badly bruised leaves. Drain well. Carefully open
the leaves and sprinkle stuffing between them toward the core. Gather the leaves and tie tightly with kitchen string. Season with salt and pepper.

Place the escarole in its side in a heavy bottomed saucepan just large enough to hold it. Pour the olive oil and broth over it and bring to a boil over moderate heat, cover, reduce to a simmer and cook 10 minutes. Turn the escarole gently with tongs and cook another 10 minutes, until the liquid has evaporated and the escarole is tender. Add water to the pan if it begins to look dry.

Transfer to a serving platter, remove the string, cut into wedges and serve hot.

FEGATO AI SETTE CANNOLI
This Sicilian winter squash dish has a very misleading name “Liver from the Seven Pipes” and a wonderful story. Sette Cannoli refers to the very poor neighborhood near the Vucceria market in Palermo where there stood a fountain with seven spouts. The people were so poor that they could never afford to buy meat. Pumpkin or winter squash cooked like liver was the most they could hope for.

2 lb. piece of Butternut or Hubbard winter squash
1/3 C. olive oil
3 garlic cloves, sliced thin
1/2 C. mint leaves, chopped, saving some for garnish
1/2 C. white wine vinegar
1/2 C. sugar
Salt and pepper

Peel the squash, remove and discard the seeds, and cut the pulp into 1/2 in. slices. Saute the slices in the oil until tender and lightly browned on both sides. Arrange the slices on a serving platter and sprinkle with the garlic and the mint leaves.

To the same pan that you have cooked the squash, add the garlic, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until the sugar melts and the sauce thickens. Pour over the squash, garnish with mint leaves and serve at room temperature.

Cardoons, artichokes, fennel and escarole can be found at:
Alba Produce
18 Parmenter St
Boston, MA 02113