March 1th is is National Artichoke Day, a day to celebrate and chow down on these nutritious, delicious plants. Although, my family plans on passing on Artichokes today and every day. How about you. Are you going to celebrate National Artichoke Day?
Did you know Artichokes are from the Mediterranean and are one of the oldest foods in the world? The Greeks and Romans ate Artichokes in the 8th Century! Today, people love eating Artichokes boiled, baked, steamed, grilled, fried, and every other which way. In America, 99.9% of the Artichokes we buy are grown in California, and in fact, the Artichoke is the official state Vegetable! To get to heart of that matter, people love everything about Artichokes. Don’t they?
National Artichoke Day Activities
- If you have the means and opportunity today challenge yourself to incorporate Artichokes into each meal. Start the day with a Artichoke Fritatta, a Salad with Marinated Artichoke Hearts for lunch, a Stuffed Artichoke for dinner, and Spinach and Artichoke Dip for a snack! Before you ask my family is going to pass on all the dishes. How about you?
- Invite your family and friends over to chow down on Artichokes! Have everyone bring a dish incorporating Artichokes, and of course, have some classics on hand. Our suggestions: Artichoke Dip, Fried Artichokes, Marinated Artichokes, Steamed Artichokes
- Cynar is an Italian Liqueur that is made from 13 Herbs and plans, but most predominate is the Artichoke! In fact, the name of the Liqueur comes from the Latin name for Artichoke, Cynara Scolymus. Cynar is an Amaro and can be drunk as either an apertif, a degestif, or mixed in a Cocktail. People love it over Ice with Soda Water or in a Negroni variation, replacing the Campari.
Why People Love National Artichoke Day
- Artichokes are versatile and Artichokes are such a good snack. which taste good no matter how you cook them, and are so fun to eat. Try frying the hearts, steaming them, or even stuffing them.
- In Italy, Artichoke Hearts in Oil are traditional; in Spain, young Artichokes are mixed with Rice for Paella; in Rome, Artichokes are fried whole; and in the Middle East, Artichokes are stuffed with Ground Lamb and Spices.
- Artichokes are actually the flowers of the Artichoke Plant, which explains why they are so beautiful. Artichokes are a popular motif in fabrics, and look just gorgeous in a bowl. Some flower shops even feature Artichokes still on the stem sold as cut flowers. Grow them in your Garden, and they’ll bloom with bright purple Flowers.
- Artichokes are one of the most antioxidant-rich Vegetables and contain specific antioxidants that have been linked with boosting Liver health and function and even fighting Cancer.
- In addition to being super tasty, Artichokes are so good for our bodies. They are rich in antioxidants and nutrients like vitamin C, folate, and magnesium. They are a food you can feel great about chowing down on any time of day.
Tips before preparing a Artichoke
When prepping a lot of artichokes, you’ll see your hands start to brown, especially around your fingernails; you may want to wear disposable gloves.
Holding the artichoke firmly on its side, with your hand covering the stem end, slice off the top 1/2 inch or so of the artichoke (slicing off part of the spiny end). Raw artichokes oxidize and turn brown very quickly. You can prevent this by rubbing a lemon half against the cut surface or putting it in a bowl of lemon water.
Cut off the artichoke stem close to the base to allow it to sit upright. Rub the cut end with a lemon half
Remove the smaller tough leaves around the base by pulling them off or slicing them off with a knife, and rinse the artichoke under cool running water, separating the leaves to get any bits of soil that may be between them.
Using kitchen shears, cut the spiny tips off the leaves. If you’re making a stuffed artichoke recipe that instructs you to remove the choke as part of the prep, now’s the time to do it. Using your fingers, spread the leaves apart as much as you can. Then use a melon baller to scoop away the purple tipped leaves and the satiny threads of fiber (that’s the choke).
How to Steam Artichokes
What you need: a steaming basket, a pot that fits the artichokes in a single layer and tongs.
What to do:
Cover the pot, bring the water to a simmer over high heat, then lower the heat and continue to simmer the artichokes until a knife slides easily into the stem end or a leaf pulled from the artichoke comes out easily, 25 to 40 minutes. The time really depends on the size of the artichokes. Baby artichokes will go faster.
Place the steaming basket into the pot and fill the pot with water so it’s just below the basket. Arrange the artichokes in the basket in a single layer.
How to Grill Artichokes
What you need: a large pot, tongs and a grill or grill pan.
What to do:
Drain the artichokes, brush them with oil and place them on the grill. Grill, turning occasionally, until charred in spots.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Preheat your grill.
Cut the artichokes into quarters. Using a small, sharp knife, remove the choke from each artichoke. To keep them from browning, make sure you hold the prepped artichokes in lemon water until you’re done removing the chokes from all of them.
Add the artichokes to the pot in a single layer and cook them until they’re crisp-tender, about 12 minutes.
How to Eat Artichokes
You can eat artichokes hot, warm or cold.
To eat an artichoke, pull off each leaf, then place the part that was attached to the heart between your teeth with the fleshy side down, then pull it out, scraping the tender bottom of the artichoke off into your mouth. After you’ve made your way through all the leaves your reward is the heart, but there is a bit more work ahead. Using a butter knife, spoon or melon baller, scrape off the bristly hairs and discard. Cut the heart into pieces and fork it up.
Part of the fun of serving artichokes is that you can make all sorts of lovely sauces to dip the leaves and heart into. Two classic accompaniments are drawn butter or Hollandaise Sauce. But feel free to get creative and serve the artichokes with compound butter or another sauce like Chimichurri.
Stuffed Artichokes
The stuffing in this recipe has it all: breadcrumbs, two cheeses, garlic, parsley and olive oil to bring it all together.
Baby artichokes are tender all the way through: no real prep is needed, they steam in a sauté pan and then they’re filled with the breadcrumbs to serve.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
