Nasty. That's how so many people describe artichokes. Many are afraid of those thorny, tough leaves that, if one is not careful when handling them, could require a Band-Aid or two.
But, in reality, artichokes are one of the glories of spring and fall. Their color hues range from delightful purples to all shades of green. Artichokes are members of the thistle family, and there are many varieties. The most common variety for us is the Globe artichoke: big, meaty and thorny.
Artichokes were introduced to America by way of California and Italian immigrant farmers who settled there and planted the first commercial crop. Today Castroville, California, is the artichoke capital and main source for artichokes sold nationwide.
So here's what to look for when buying them. The leaves should be closed, not fanned open; tight leaves means fresh. They should feel heavy in your hand and the stem end should not be soft or bendable. They should have a uniform color, and aficionados agree that artichokes that have been nipped by frost and have tinges of brown on their leaves taste even better.
Preparation takes many forms, including stuffing them whole or using only the hearts and stuffing their cavities, deep frying, or marinating them as part of a salad, or cutting them in wedges and stewing them. They are exquisite served plain with melted butter. When I want to wow company, I make either my pork-stuffed artichokes or my parmesan-stuffed artichokes, or I stew them with tomatoes and wine for cold weather eating. Still, I like them best straight up, unpretentious.
Getting to the most tender part of the artichoke requires the fortitude of an archaeologist. Scraping away layers of leaves and struggling to remove that hairy choke at the very bottom before the big payoff, the tender heart, is a task.
There is an easier way. Strip away the tough outer leaves (and this could mean a couple of layers) with your fingers by bending the leaves backwards or use scissors and cut them off. A good way to know if you have taken off enough tough leaves is to stop when the color of the leaves turns from dark to pale green. Cut off about 1/4 inch down from the top with a sharp knife, and scrape the stem end with a vegetable peeler.
Cut the artichokes in half lengthwise, and place them cut side down in a large saucepan. Cover them with water and bring to a boil. Lower to the heat to medium low, cover the pot and cook until you can easily pull off one of the leaves without any effort. Drain and cool.
Use a small spoon or a melon ball scooper to easily remove the hairy choke and pale yellow leaves. Prepared this way, they become edible containers that can be filled with cheese, cooked rice, diced vegetables or just melted butter, which is my favorite way to have them. Nutty and mild with a slightly sweet taste, the artichoke is art itself.
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