Is It Summer Yet?

We’re excited about this coming weekend; it feels like the turning of a page after an interminable winter and spring. Maybe we forget that every year this calendar moment allows us to truly appreciate the first spring onions, herbs, asparagus, lettuces, and, as the weather turns, rhubarb, strawberries, and so on. Here’s what we’re cooking this weekend — some seasonal, some not — but, for all of us, these selections are a celebration.

Grilled Artichokes

Two people come to mind when I think about artichokes: Mark and my wife—not necessarily in that order…but maybe. I think the two of them like artichokes more than anyone else I know. They were a staple of my wife’s childhood; steamed whole, pulled apart leaf by leaf, and dunked into curry mayonnaise. This is a deeply satisfying, sort of primal way to eat, even more so when you char the artichokes on the grill. Per tradition, I usually do this with the big ones, but Mark’s recipe for crisp grilled baby artichokes might be even better.  — Daniel