Spring Vegetable Stew

This little stew of spring vegetables is cooked at a leisurely pace, taking enough time for the different flavors to merge but not so long that they become murky. I’ve made this many times, trying to find what works—what member of the onion family to begin with, which vegetables to use, what kind of butter to finish with. What I like best is rather thickly sliced leeks stewed with the artichokes. Their flavor is mild and sweet, and even after cooking they still hold their shape. If lots of