Peel, trim and cook the cardoons until they are nearly tender, then plunge them into an ice water bath.
Julienne the cardoons, then chop them into 3∕4-inch lengths and place in a small mixing bowl.
Peel and julienne the shallots. Melt the butter over medium-low heat until it bubbles. Do not brown.
Toss the shallots with the sugar and add them to the pan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring three or four times over 10 minutes or until the shallots turn brown and caramelize.
Remove from the heat and add the balsamic vinegar. Stir and set aside.
Combine the cardoons, shallots, Pecorino and almonds. Add enough olive oil to coat and blend the mixture. Gently stir in the red peppers, adding more oil if needed.
Let stand for 10 minutes. Season with pepper. Taste, then add salt if needed.
Serve on bread, flatbread or crackers.
2 shallots
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
½ tsp. granulated sugar
½ tsp. balsamic vinegar
½ cup coarsely grated Pecorino-Romano cheese
½ cup coarsely chopped blanched almonds
Lemon olive oil
¼ cup diced roasted red peppers
Sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste
This article appears in Oct 1-31, 2010.