Artichokes

May 2002

Artichokes are one of the Captain’s favorite green vegetables and are served regularly aboard “Solitaire”. You can buy them fresh year-around, but they are most plentiful (and economical) in the Spring. I always keep a couple jars of marinated artichoke hearts in the galley since they are so good for adding to recipes (they are great with chicken breasts) or serving in a green salad. When selecting fresh ones, choose large ones with tightly closed leaves. They will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, but are best if eaten sooner.

1. Rinse the artichokes in running cold water. If the artichokes have little thorns on the end of the leaves, take a kitchen scissors and cut of the thorned tips of all of the leaves. This step is mostly for aesthetics as the thorns soften with cooking and pose no threat to the person eating the artichoke.

2. Slice about 3/4 inch to an inch off the tip of the artichoke. Pull off any smaller leaves towards the base and on the stem. Cut excess stem, leaving up to an inch on the artichoke.

3. In a large pot, put a couple inches of water, a clove of garlic, and a slice of lemon (this adds wonderful flavor to the artichokes). Insert a steaming basket. Add the artichokes. Cover.

4. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 35 to 45 minutes or until the outer leaves can easily be pulled off. Note: artichokes can also be cooked in a pressure cooker for about 6 -10 minutes.

How to Eat an Artichoke - Artichokes may be eaten cold or hot, but I think they are much better hot. They are served with a dip, melted butter or mayonnaise.

3. Tightly grip the other end of the petal. Place in mouth, dip side down, and pull through teeth to remove soft, pulpy, delicious portion of the petal. Discard remaining petal.

4. Continue until all of the petals are removed. With a knife or spoon, scrape out and discard the fuzzy part covering the artichoke heart. The remaining bottom of the artichoke is the heart. Cut into pieces and dip into sauce to eat.

Creamy Artichoke Dip - Beat first 8 ingredients in a large bowl, using an electric mixer. Fold in artichokes, cheese, green onions, and jalapeno. Put in an 11 X 7 X 2 inch glass dish. (Can do this much the day before and store in refrigerator). Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake dip for 20 minutes, until bubbling and brown on top. Serve hot with crackers, bread or pita chips.

Chicken with Artichokes - Drain oil from artichokes and use with olive oil to brown chicken in skillet. Add onions and garlic to pan. Dissolve a chicken bouillon cube in wine and add to pan. Add artichokes. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes over medium heat, adding more liquid if needed. Serve over rice or noodles.

Provencal Artichoke Ragout - Trim artichoke stems and cut in half lengthwise. Remove fuzzy choke from center. Cook bacon, shallot, garlic, and spices in oil about 3 minutes using a large pot that has a lid. Sprinkle with flour and cook 1 more minute. Add wine, broth, vinegar and zest and bring to a boil. Add artichokes. Steam covered for 30 to 35 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve in soup bowls, along with the broth.

Hot Feta Artichoke Dip - Bev made up a batch of this. It was so good that we all ate way too much and spoiled our appetite for the dinner that followed. Chop artichoke hearts, mix with other ingredients and spoon into a pie pan or shallow baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.