Refreshing Spring Sauces
Add these sauces to any simple dish, from pot beans and rice to potato soup. Their bright flavor will awaken the senses and help ease the transition from winter to spring.
These elegant yet prickly vegetables are not local to Vermont until the summer, but many preserve them in water or oil to enjoy as a spring dish. Artichokes help the liver metabolize fat.
Ingredients
- 2 large artichokes
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 tablespoon dried thyme leaf
Instructions
Steam artichokes for 20 minutes, or until leaves start to open. Remove from heat, rinse to cool, peel leaves off the stem and score them with the tip of a paring knife. Open each leaf and scoop the meat out into a blender or food processor. Once you have removed all the meat from both the leaves and the stems, add the rest of the ingredients to the blender or food processor. Blend at highest speed for 2 minutes. Taste for salt.
Serve with grilled lamb or tempeh, roasted potatoes and sweet potatoes, and as a sauce for whole-grain pasta. This spread makes a delicious sandwich when combined with hummus and goat cheese. Keeps refrigerated for 5 days.
Healing properties:
Lemon—awakens the pungent flavor in the body, detoxifies the lymphatic system and provides vitamin C.
Olive oil—anti-inflammatory; rich in vitamin E and monounsaturated fats, which enhance colon health. Choose the best olive oil possible, preferably one whose label lists an acidity of less than 0.5%.
Thyme—contains thymol, an anti-microbial volatile oil that can help prevent colds; rich in flavonoids whose antioxidant activity keeps blood pH in balance.
Related Stories & Recipes
