three french apps perfect for spring entertaining

the LA cheffing chronicles part 3

today’s newsletter includes recipes for:

• whole steamed artichoke with garlic aioli

• a reminder that french breakfast radishes are in season this time of year and are the perfect, low lift addition to your app spread

• steak tartare (ish) style tuna with fried capers and garlic chive oil

if you tuned in to my last Forklore newsletter…

then you saw the first creation to come out of my Santa Monica Farmer’s Market Haul:

a slow roasted salmon niçoise with tangy buttermilk dressing for spring

it’s maybe my favorite salad I’ve ever created. if you’re into this vibe, you’ll probably be into the rest of the menu I cheffed up for my clients for dinner because we continued on this steam engine train through France. sole Meunière with pommes anna and a beautiful radicchio salad were our mains… but today we’re chatting about the appetizers.

it was really those big, beautiful artichokes at the farmer’s market that inspired this whole menu. when I purchased the singular most perfect artichoke I’ve ever witnessed, I knew there was only one way to showcase her: steamed whole and served bistro style with plenty of garlic aioli for dipping.

I will never stop talking about those Farm Market artichokes

If you don’t want to make it yourself, might I recommend ordering it at Le Dive, a french inspired tapas bar with superb people watching and one of my favorite solo date spots in NYC.

as it gets warmer, tables outside le dive will litter dimes square

but back to our menu

along side our artichoke I served up a tuna tartare dressed up as a steak tartare along with some french breakfast radishes with cultured butter and herbed goat cheese. I actually had steak tartare on the menu at first but my clients said “we aren’t really steak tartare people.” Noted. We pivoted and the same flavors of a classic steak tartare (the capers, mustard, shallots, lemon) work quite well with the tuna. Of course with my own personal twists, always.

ALSO! everything can be prepped ahead of time, making all three of these guys perfect dinner party appetizers too.

whole steamed artichoke with garlic aioli

• one large artichoke

• 2 egg yolks

• 1 large or two small garlic cloves, grated

• juiced of half lemon

• 1/2 c olive oil

• 1/4- 1/2 c avocado oil

• kosher salt

• olive oil to drizzle

• flaky salt to sprinkle

prepare the artichoke by removing any tough outer leaves at the base of the stem and cutting off the top quarter using a very sharp knife (this removes the pointy tips of the leaves). trim the stem so that ~2 inch remain. use a small knife to shave off the tough outer layer of the stem down to the base of the artichoke. rub the cut parts with lemon to prevent browning. check out my latest instagram reel for a visual .

to steam the artichoke, fill a large pot with ~1” of water and bring to a simmer. place steamer basket in the pot, then place the artichoke (cut top facing down) into the basket. Cover the pot, reduce to low heat, and steam for 40-45 mins until the stem is fork tender. If you aren’t sure if the artichoke is done, try to pull off an outer leaf. If it easily peels off you are good to go.

make your aioli. while the artichoke is cooking, whisk together yolks, garlic, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. while whisking constantly (or using an immersion blender), stream in olive oil followed by the avocado oil. I like to pour the oil against the side of the bowl so it trickles in slowly, as opposed to streaming directly into the middle. If you go too fast, the emulsion with break and the aioli will split. If it does split, drizzle in a tsp of cold water to bring the emulsion back together (it’s like a magic trick!)

you will be left with a beautifully, thick yet pourable aioli. Taste and season with additional salt or lemon juice as needed. If the flavor tastes quite strong, you can continue to neutralize/ mellow by adding more oil. Just go slowly + whisking constantly.

to serve, plate the artichoke standing up on the stem, then drizzle with olive oil and flaky salt with a bowl of prepared aioli on the side.

to eat, pull off the leaves, dip them into the aioli and then use your teeth to scrape off the meaty bit at the base of the leaf. Discard the tough rest of the leaf. As you get deeper into the artichoke, the leaves get meatier. Once you reach the center, slice in half then scrape out the hairy choke. Enjoy the fruits of your labor, the prized artichoke heart, with an extra drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle of salt and dollop of aioli.

french breakfast radishes with cultured butter and herbed goat cheese

A tale as old as time. Not reinventing any part of this wheel, just reminding you this combination exists and is perfect this time of year. I think it looks nice to keep some of the greens on the radishes and slice them in half. I plated with a slather of salted cultured butter and herbed goat cheese, both made local and sourced from the farmer’s market. from the grocery store, I’d recommend looking at for Arethusa Farm’s Cultured Butter and Meredith Dairy Sheep and Goat Cheese. You can plate the cheese as is, or mix with some finely chopped herbs and a little bit of it’s oil to make a creamy, spreadable cheese of my dreams.

steak tartare (ish) style tuna with fried capers and garlic chive oil