Artichoke Salad with Shaved Parmesan

 

Artichokes are another one of those things that took me a while to really like to eat, along with asparagus, mushrooms, and a few other foods.  Then, a few years back, I had them raw and thinly sliced dressed with olive oil and parmesan cheese.  I think I kind of fell in love with them then.  The creamy nuttiness of the cheese went along perfectly with the crunchy vegetable which picked up the fruitiness of the oil and the slight tang from the lemon juice and carried it along in delicious harmony.

Panel on “Markets 2.0 – The Resurgence of Traditional Markets in New York City”

One of my favorite things about living in New York City is the various and varied markets that exist here.  I’d fallen in love with shopping for local food from small-scale vendors when I lived overseas and have been delighted that I could continue to buy that way back here.  I’ve also always been a big fan of knickknacks and antiques fairs just bursting with treasures to find.  Add to that all the creative and delicious things to discover at the artisan food markets.  Last year, Karen Seiger put together a book called Markets of New York City about all the wonderful items that could be found at these venues in each of the five boroughs.