Arts
Well folks, it's that time of year again-green beer and corned beef for all!...If you're not exactly thrilled with the prospect of sporting some seriously stained teeth and boiling meat and potatoes, don't worry-you're not alone. While we are all big fans of the Irish-and don't necessarily mind the once-a-year corned beef and cabbage dish-we can certainly come up with something a little more appealing to celebrate with.Something appealing, something green....hmmmm.....Well, for starters, as soon as March rolls around you should pretty much know that winter is coming to a close. This weekend marks the "spring forward" in daylight savings time and the winter chill is finally starting to wear off.Birds all across the New York metro area have been chirping.Fortunately, the coming of spring means a whole new season of delicious vegetables and herbs to choose from. Our favorite green this month is the artichoke. Delicious and versatile, this veggie is truly one of nature's gifts to us-and March is one of the best times to buy it. If you've never prepared an artichoke, the task may seem a little daunting. Please don't fear it-the pay out is amazing. There are a number of great websites out there to help you with the basic preparation of an artichoke. We love the Becks and Posh blog for the breakdown. And, after you work on technique a bit and come to realize that you can never live without this particular vegetable again, you will be ready for our Artichoke Dip Recipe. It is a classic.Although the dip uses canned artichoke hearts, you will need to prepare at least 2-4 actual artichokes, so that you can serve the leaves. If you live in the New York metro area, visit Fresh Direct to get both tasty canned hearts, and fresh produce. And of course, if you're feeling adventurous, and you have some time on your hands, feel free to skip the can and go for the real thing!Have fun bragging to your friends this holiday about who's really the MOST green this year!Erin Go Bragh!Artichoke DipWe thought it would be fun to post the video for you this week. No going back and forth between the website and the blog!