Once regarded as being so powerfully aphrodisiac that women were banned from eating them—artichokes are now enjoyed by connoisseurs regardless of gender. Catherine de
The edible portion of an artichoke plant is tightly encased in an intimidating armor-like bud. If the bud is allowed to bloom it will develop a wide purple flower, brilliantly colorful, but inappropriate for eating. The artichoke plant is a thistle related to the sunflower. A single plant will grow several artichokes of varying sizes, with the largest growing from the central stem and the smallest “baby artichokes” growing on lower surrounding branches. Artichoke harvesting is done entirely by hand, with pickers checking each plant weekly. Virtually all artichokes grown in this country come from
If you haven’t eaten artichokes before, the process of devouring a freshly cooked one might seem a little strange. The parts we commonly think of as leaves, the shingled thick green petals, are technically bracts. Remove the bracts from the fleshy base, dip into a thick sauce of your choice, and then pull each one through closed teeth to scrape the nutty-tasting vitamin-packed “meat” from it before tossing aside. Piece by tasty piece work inward to the artichoke’s tender sweet heart, which can be easily devoured. Take care to cut away the innermost artichoke part—the immature flower, or choke, is thorny and best avoided.
Besides the strikingly sweet aftertaste, artichokes deliver no fat, no cholesterol, plenty of protein and fiber, as well as minerals, vitamin C, vitamin A, niacin, vitamin B6, and folic acid. Sarah Aubry
