Artichokes are delicious at this time of year, so enjoy this mouth-watering vegetable in late spring and early summer!
Did you know…?
- There are two different types of artichoke – they are the more common globe artichoke where the immature flower heads, containing hearts, are eaten and the Jerusalem artichoke, where the plant’s tubers are eaten.
- If a globe artichoke is allowed to flower, its blooms look like thistles. It’s a perennial plant which is also a member of the same plant family as the sunflower.
- Globe artichokes have a delicate flavour, and they are commonly boiled or steamed before being served hot as a vegetable or cold in salads.
- They are an excellent source of fibre, vitamin C, and potassium.
- Artichokes are native to the Mediterranean and North Africa and their young leaves were a delicacy in ancient times.
- The first record of eating the edible flower form of the artichoke was in the early 15th Century in Italy.
- Artichokes are now grown widely in the Mediterranean and the Americas.
How do you prepare and cook them?
You’ll need to trim the outer leaves. Cut a couple of rows from the top to show the inside of the artichoke heart, probably around half an inch to an inch.
Trim off the tips from each leaf. The edible part of the plant is at the bottom of the leaves. It’s attached to the base. You won’t lose any of that. Cut the stem from the bottom, meaning the artichoke can ‘sit up’ for serving.
To boil, add to a pan of salted boiling water and simmer until one of the outer leaves comes away easily. This takes between 20 and 30 minutes.
To steam, place them in a steamer over a boiling pan of water on a medium to high heat for between 20 and 30 minutes. Test in the same way.
Allow your artichokes to cool slightly before serving.
How can you use them in your cooking?
Make artichoke salads – Try the traditional Turkish treat of artichoke and parsley salad, or an artichoke, lemon, and almond salad with peppery rocket.
Serve as a side vegetable – Dress artichokes with hollandaise sauce or browned butter to bring out their nutty taste. Perfect for lighter summer dining.
Add them to quiches and tarts – Artichokes provide a wonderful flavour and visual interest in tarts and quiches coupled with asparagus, prosciutto, spinach, onions, and tomatoes.
Stuff them – Use breadcrumbs flavoured with garlic and Parmesan, or olives, sundried tomatoes, and ground chicken.
However you choose to cook them, we hope you find them as delicious as we do! Get our regular recipe ideas for seasonal ingredients by signing up to our newsletter.
