"Artichoke" news and stories

Happy National Artichoke Hearts Day!

Prized by the ancient Romans as food of the nobility, artichoke are still treasured today for their unique flavor and fresh texture. With more than 50 varieties growing worldwide, artichokes are largely valued for their edible hearts -- the fleshy base, including the surrounding tender leaves.

Pictured here, artichoke hearts are texturized further, beyond their natural layers, by being gently fried for a few minutes, adding an additional crunch to their edges. Though blogger Tamarind and Thyme provides only a pictoral recipe for this preparation, the guidelines are simple -- trim and rinse the artichoke hearts, dip in flour and fry in oil until lightly browned. They would fare well topped with fresh herbs and Parmesan; but are equally delectable on their own.

What's your favorite preparation for artichoke hearts? Have a heart -- share your recipes in the comments!

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We love giving the extra nod to seasonal cooking by serving dishes in an edible container, be it stuffed squash, tomatoes, bell peppers, or, in this case, an artichoke. Not only is the result visually pleasing, but its flavor benefits from added depth and complexity.

In the pictured Walnut, Bacon and Rice-Stuffed Artichoke, the Eddybles blogger sautéed a base of onion, garlic and double-smoked bacon with tomatoes and lemon juice before adding rice, Parmesan and basil. But, as she writes, the dish is in fact a "two chapter meal." After enjoying the warmed salad, you reach the meaty artichoke petals, saturated with the drippings of the sautée. The best part is thus saved for last, when you deconstruct the artichoke bowl and savor the richness of each seasoned petal.

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Even people who aren't big fans of artichoke seem to enjoy artichoke dips. The mild flavor of the vegetable and is tender texture blend perfectly with cream cheese, mayonnaise or sour cream - at least one of which is almost always a component of artichoke dip. The dips are usually served hot, enhancing the smoothness and the overall flavor.

Hot dips require a little more maintenance than cold dips. You will either need to head back and forth to the kitchen to reheat them, serve them in a chafing dish or try to motivate your guests to eat them really quickly. I like to use two or three smaller bowls, that way one will be ready to go if I need to switch them out. I also try to choose dips that will still taste good at room temperature - and this one definitely does.

The recipe comes from Eating Well magazine and is a little lighter than most artichoke dips, with most of the flavor coming from the artichokes themselves and a generous amount of Parmesan cheese, which is among the lower-fat cheeses out there. Some mayo is included to enhance the consistency of the final dip, which is heated in the oven to produce a slightly crisp top and creamy interior.

Sarah posted that she was surprised to see such large globe artichokes when she was out shopping, but as an artichoke fan, I have been enjoying these for some time. They are significantly larger than your average 'choke - that is my chef's knife in the photo below for a size comparison - and they are so satisfying that they can actually serve as a light meal. The only downside is that you have to dedicate a whole, large pot to steaming one, so it's best to either only prepare one at a time as an appetizer for a group or a snack for yourself.