Artichoke season

by Emily Matchar, Posted Apr 17th 2008 @ 8:00AM

Globe artichokes are in season, their spiky green heads peeking out of produce bins, their petals vaguely purple-tinged. Artichokes have long been one of my favorite foods, the special thing my mother would make when I came home from summer camp or on my birthday. But for years, the reason I really loved the artichoke was for its capacity as spoon for melted butter - when else can you publicly scoop tablespoons of hot, salty fat into your mouth, without anyone blinking an eye?

These days I appreciate the artichoke in a variety of preparations, sometimes even swapping the melted butter for vinaigrette or aioli. Perusing the Internet for new recipes, I stumbled upon a treasure trove of ideas at The Gutsy Gourmet, and thought I'd share. There are recipes for Italian stuffed artichokes, Roman fried artichokes, artichoke and crab dip, prosciutto and artichoke sandwiches with rosemary mayonnaise (I am considering having a picnic this week, just for an excuse to make these), and more. Any favorite artichoke recipes from you guys?

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Filed Under: On the Blogs, Ingredients
Tags: Artichokes, Recipes, Spring, Vegetables

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

4-17-2008 @10:06AM Bruce Allen said... If you're even in the Artichoke capital of the world, Castroville, California, be sure to stop by Pezzini Farms - they have a stand off the highway, and there is a van there where you can get deep-fried artichoke hearts - absolutely delicious!
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4-17-2008 @10:03AM Rob Brooks-Bilson said... I like them simple: steam and serve with hollandaise sauce for dipping the leaves as you peel them away. I even have special artichoke plates just for the purpose.
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4-17-2008 @3:47PM badfrog said... I eat them plain, not even salt.

For melted butter with a little cayenne, I eat lobster.
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4-17-2008 @3:23PM Schuylar said... Artichoke tea - hot or cold. You have read correctly - tea. Cook artichokes in lots of water for about an hour until. The more chokes the stronger the taste. I make my tea a little sweet by adding a few dates. Fish everything out once you're done cooking, leaving only the liquid (tea color incidentally). The tea can be served hot, room temp or cold by refrigeration (adding ice will dilute the liquid). Cold, slightly sweeten artichoke tea is so refreshingly on a hot day. And it's good for you - no caffeine, naturally sweetened and all the vitamins from the chokes.
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