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WHAT'S NEW
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Andrew's ingredient of the month -- Artichokes
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While eating local might be your goal, in March Canadians would be stuck eating old rutabagas and beets if it weren't for California. Take advantage of their early harvest and celebrate artichokes.
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By Andrew Chase, Homemakers Magazine Food editor
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As we proclaim the niceties of eating locally, it isn't realistic to do so in Canada when you want variety (or a fresh green vegetable in winter). Alas, we must consume fuel to ship in vegetables from warmer climes. If we are to, albeit guiltily, enjoy the fruits of our energy overuse, we should at least pick the best and the seasonal. Artichokes are one of the wonders of the vegetable world and in California, the spring harvest begins in March.
Artichokes have wonderful keeping qualities, so fresh-picked artichokes in California almost equals fresh-picked ones on our shelves. Why not warm up this snowy March with this most Mediterranean of vegetables?
What's an artichoke?
Artichokes are members of the thistle family, as are cardoons (the stalks of which are eaten and, not coincidentally, taste like artichokes). The artichoke is the immature flowerhead or unopened bud of the prickly but elegant-looking artichoke plant. Small buds grow on smaller side stems, while large central stems can produce large-sized artichokes.
There are many varieties of artichokes but practically all of the artichokes shipped to Canada are green. One springtime when I was in southern France, I enjoyed many more types, including purple and light greenish-yellow ones. They all have similar flavours, varying slightly in sweetness and texture. Generally speaking, smaller artichokes are more tender than large ones.
How to cut and cook an artichoke
Artichokes turn brown easily after cutting, so always use a stainless-steel (not carbon steel) knife and place the artichoke in acidulated water (water that's infused with lemon juice or vinegar) after trimming.
The simplest way to cook a large globe artichoke is to:
-Boil it whole, in salted water.
-Trim the stem end by cutting off any of the end that has darkened. Don't completely cut off the stem. If you want the artichoke to sit upright on a plate, cut it off after cooking and serve the stem on the side. The peeled stems are really just extensions of the heart.
-Tear off any tiny leaves attached to the stems and at the base of the artichoke. (Fancy cooks might want to trim off the thorns at the tip of each leaf with scissors, but I find this step unnecessary for home cooking.)
-With a vegetable peeler or small paring knife, peel the stems.
If you're cooking two to four artichokes, squeeze half a lemon into a pot of salted water. Use a whole lemon for more than four pieces. Place the artichokes in enough water to cover and place a plate over the artichokes to keep them submerged. Cover the pot with a lid and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until a middle leaf pulls out easily (40 to 50 minutes.) Drain upside-down for a few minutes. Serve artichokes with melted butter, with or without lemon juice, or a light vinaigrette of olive oil, lemon juice, a touch of wine vinegar or sherry vinegar, salt and pepper.
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