Finally available up here; I’ve been craving them since it’s that time of year and the white beans we’ve been eating call out for them. So I bought four, and one got chopped up and added to the soaked beans along with onion, garlic, a bit of turkey bacon, herbs, and white wine, and simmered for two hours until the aromatics had disintegrated and the beans were tender. Meanwhile the other three artichokes got the standard “alla Romana” treatment and sat in their pan until the beans were ready. Finished with a bit of lemon juice, the oil from the artichoke pan, truffle oil, and celtic salt, they answered my craving handsomely. Milo liked them too (he loves beans, and even liked the artichoke raw.) This is serious winter food, and was well met by a 2000 Domaine du Gros Noré Bandol that I double-decanted when I first put the beans on. It’s a feral wine and needs serious time to unwind. I have a case of the 1998 in Vermont and based on how this one tastes those should be good and ready for next winter.
