Intimidating

Although it's Labor Day, I pulled out the crock-pot...slow cooking seems most appropriate for the winter but I was desperate.  I had taken out a pack of the short ribs we picked up from River Run and realized that I haven't made short ribs of beef in at least 10 years.  I knew they needed to cook for an extended period but I couldn't think of how to season them. 

I sprinkled some of my basic seasonings and worcestershire sauce, tossed in flour, then seared - placed in the crock-pot then sauteed onions, tomatoes, more seasoning...added pineapple juice (not sure why), and a dash of brown sugar.  I cooked the concoction on high for 6 hours.  It was very flavorful but quite oily (next time I'll prepare a day in advance so that I can easily remove the fat).  For sides, I cooked the last of the kale and pressure cooked the last of the potatoes (for smashed potatoes).

My daughter remarked that all of the food was very flavorful, but for me the show stopper were the artichokes (my son thought they were miniature chickens).  I have no idea how to peel and prepare a fresh artichoke but I took a gamble on TJs jarred artichokes with stems (assuming that the canned hearts would be a disaster).  I rinsed them thoroughly to remove the citric acid then drained while I heated olive oil and butter to caramelize the garlic.  I tossed them in the pan and they were excellent.

I also purchased frozen artichoke hearts with which I made an artichoke and spinach quiche with sun-dried tomatoes and Italian cheese for suhoor tomorrow. 

One day I will tackle a fresh artichoke head-on, but until then, I'm sticking with the jarred variety.