Spring is finally here! After this interminable winter, I can feel my spirits rising along with the temperature, and even rainy days like today brim with the promise of sun, warmth and maybe even a flower or two to follow. Yesterday, as the sunlight bounced off the roofs of Bushwick and poured into my office, my thoughts (of course) turned to food, and the wonderful things one can do with spring veggies. With a hankering for artichokes, I left work on a mission to find some fresh ones. After looking at every grocery store, produce market, bodega, and vegetable stand on my walk home I came up empty-handed (that’s not to say I didn’t find any at all, they just weren’t up to par). Putting aside my thoughts of ricotta & walnut-stuffed or lemon and olive oil-braised artichokes, I turned to something I could do with the canned version in order to satisfy my craving.

Ingredients
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced and mashed to a past with 1/4 teaspoon salt
a few pinches of dried red pepper flakes (or to taste)
1 14-oz can of artichoke hearts, drained will and sliced thin
1 1/4 cups thinly sliced fennel bulb
1/3 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley leaves

Directions
In a bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, mustard, garlic paste, red pepper flakes, oil (and salt and pepper to taste), stir in the artichoke hearts, fennel, Parmesan and parsley. Cover the salad and chill for at least 20 minutes.