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Artichokes


Jaymes

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Heh. My dinner artichoke is steaming away on the stove right now.

I'm not a fan of the stuffed just because the stuffing tends to take away from the artichoke. Doesn't mean you shouldn't do it, though.

When I find baby artichokes cheap cheap on the CA central coast, I'll buy a big batch of them, clean and quarter them, steam 'em, and marinate them in a vinaigrette. They keep for a long time and are good with lots of things.

There's a restaurant in Pescadero, CA, that serves cream of artichoke soup that I really love. Don't have a recipe, but would love to get me hands on one.

amanda

Googlista

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There's a restaurant in Pescadero, CA, that serves cream of artichoke soup that I really love. Don't have a recipe, but would love to get me hands on one.

is the restaurant called "Duarte's"? if so, this recipe purports to be "similar" to their cream of artichoke soup:

quick search--cream of artichoke soup recipe

sounds good!

"The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the ocean."

--Isak Dinesen

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There's a restaurant in Pescadero, CA, that serves cream of artichoke soup that I really love. Don't have a recipe, but would love to get me hands on one.

is the restaurant called "Duarte's"? if so, this recipe purports to be "similar" to their cream of artichoke soup:

quick search--cream of artichoke soup recipe

sounds good!

That's the one. Thanks for the link.

amanda

Googlista

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There's a Creole specialty in New Orleans, where they stuff the artichokes with a seasoned shrimp and rice mixture -- each leaf gets a bit of stuffing and the center gets the remainder. Maybe Brooks will weigh in on this thread. Can't remember what it's called though.

As for me, I love them prepared any number of ways:

Sliced cooked artichoke hearts, tossed with mandarin orange segments, ruby grapefruit segments and sliced kumquats; dressed with EVOO, cracked black pepper, and chopped parsley.

Thinly shaved artichoke hearts, baked in a gratin with thinly sliced potatoes, leeks, cream, Parm-Reg and chervil;

Thinly shaved artichoke hearts, tossed with fennel, mushrooms, EVOO, and shaved white truffle;

Grilled baby artichokes, with lemon EVOO and fleur de sel.

Soba

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Just as Mudpuppie does: On occasion I have found packages of small artichokes on special -- 99 cents for 10! :shock: That's when I'm glad I had to turn artichokes at work: now I can do it pretty fast. Take the little guys down to just the tender leaves and bottoms, cut into wedges, steam in a spiced water/white wine bath. When cooked, pack in jars with the liquid, top up with olive oil, and I've got marinated artichokes for a couple of months.

But that's not the end of it. Being the cheapo that I am, I cannot simply throw out all the leaves that were removed. So I steam them (separately from the hearts) in plenty of water, puree the solids, load them into a cheesecloth bag and hang it over a bowl to catch the liquid and mushed flesh. Requires very little hands-on time, and I get "artichoke stock" for use in soups and stews.

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I love artichokes. Any way you fix them. But here's a couple of methods for you to try.

4 sprigs parsley

4 cloves garlic, split

2 bay leaves

2 lemons, cut in half

1 cup (or more) white wine

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 qt water or chicken broth

salt and pepper

artichokes

Bring all ingredients except artichokes to a simmer. Trim artichokes, cut off top, rub with lemon. Place artichokes in liquid, cover and simmer about 30 minutes, or until tender.

Serve with oil, lemon juice, parsley, salt and pepper nd shaved cheese.

Grilled Baby Artichokes with Olive Oil and Lemon

You can also use this method with larger artichokes if desired.

1 lemon, halved

12 baby artichokes

Cut artichokes in half lengthwise. Trim and scoop out choke, put in lemon water and boil till crisp-tender; about 6 minutes. Drain, pat dry, set aside to cool.

Marinade:

1 cup olive oil

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. herbs de provence

1 tsp. garlic

Pour the marinade over the cooled artichokes either in a glass dish or large plastic baggie and either refrigerate or leave on counter all day. or at least several hours.

Grill over moderate heat until you see light char marks and they are warmed through. You can serve with a basil pesto mayo or just on their own.

The baby artichokes can be eaten in their entirety....these are delicious!! Happy eating!

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oh yes, NVNVGirl, delicious sounding artichokes!

Be sure to one of these days

eat alongside a roasted chicken, or add the whole baby artichokes to the bottom of a roasting chicken during the last 10-20 minutes of its cooking, so that the juices mingle back and forth.......

artichoke is a chickens best friend i think.

and mine.

i think that the next time i plan a move i'm taking into consideration the seasons of artichokes. my mistake in my current location is that there are no artichokes growing here, though there could be....the agricultural climate is right, its just that the people who would eat them couldn't be bothered.

steamed artichoked with a good skortalia--Greek garlic mayonnaise--is yummy too.

lightly sauteed baby artichokes with chunks of feta cheese in a flat omelet.

artichokes alongside roast rare lamb, with a handful of black olives.

make a puree with truffles or truffle oil and spread it on bread.

invite me.

anyone for an artichoke party?

Marlena the spieler

www.marlenaspieler.com

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Marlena, I'm DEFINITELY up for an artichoke party! I haven't had any for a couple of months now and seeing this thread has made me crave them. Am having friends over for dinner tomorrow, so artichokes are definitely going to be on the menu. And I agree with the artichoke/chicken combo....I've got a great recipe of my mom's that combines chicken, artichokes, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes...it's to die for! Will post it if anyone's interested. If you're in the Palm Springs area tomorrow evening, you're welcome to share dinner (and artichokes with us!)

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small artichokes on special -- 99 cents for 10! 

I pay a cool 2$ (two dollars) for 1 (one) Italian baby!

Still - generously cut away hard stuff (oh man, how petite they are afterwards), cut vertically in thin slices and braise them gently for 20/30 minutes in a reduction of EVOO, white wine, a bit lemon or vinegar and some garlic. Mix with pasta or serve on toasted bread.

Make it as simple as possible, but not simpler.

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Sliced cooked artichoke hearts, tossed with mandarin orange segments, ruby grapefruit segments and sliced kumquats; dressed with EVOO, cracked black pepper, and chopped parsley.

Thinly shaved artichoke hearts, baked in a gratin with thinly sliced potatoes, leeks, cream, Parm-Reg and chervil;

Thinly shaved artichoke hearts, tossed with fennel, mushrooms, EVOO, and shaved white truffle;

Grilled baby artichokes, with lemon EVOO and fleur de sel.

Soba

All of these sound great SobaAddict--I've made the shaved salad with fennel, mushooms, etc and variations a number of times and it is one of my favorite salads. When I don't have access to fresh truffles I have used some truffle oil--although I know some e-gulleteers aren't fond of this option.

Also grilled baby artichokes are simply great.

Two other preps I use often that I got from Chez Panisse cookbooks are:

Artichoke Tart

(sauted sliced hearts in butter and olive oil, then toss with lemon juice, s & p and herb butter (tarragon, parsley and chervil), custard of egg, dijon mustard, s & p and cream get poured over all in puff pastry shell and then baked) This is a great Easter dish and can be a main dish for vegetarians).

Artichoke Ragout with New Finglerling Potatoes

(cook potatoes separately, then saute spring onions in butter and olive oil. Add cleaned and quarterd baby artichokes, water, season and cover. Stew over low heat ~ 10-15 min until chokes are tender. Add potatoes, some nice olive oil, parsely and cook a little longer until liquid is a "silky emulsion". This makes a great side or main dish.

ooohh... and Duarte's cream of artichoke soup is excellent; it's always a tough toss up though since I also love their cream of green chile soup. Either way you get the great homemade bread though! :smile:

Edited by ludja (log)

"Under the dusty almond trees, ... stalls were set up which sold banana liquor, rolls, blood puddings, chopped fried meat, meat pies, sausage, yucca breads, crullers, buns, corn breads, puff pastes, longanizas, tripes, coconut nougats, rum toddies, along with all sorts of trifles, gewgaws, trinkets, and knickknacks, and cockfights and lottery tickets."

-- Gabriel Garcia Marquez, 1962 "Big Mama's Funeral"

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I just used this in an aphrodisiac class: mix grated gruyere cheese with a little garlic and parsley in a food processor until it holds together when pinched between the fingers.

Then take an artichoke quarter (I used canned ones for this) and top it with a little of the filling, then another artichoke quarter. Wrap with a thin slice of prosciutto and run under the broiler for a couple of minutes on each side, until the cheese melts and the prosciutto gets crisp.

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I like to throw a few in Beef Stews, especially if I find the baby artichokes in the store. It is unfortunate that they are quite expensive IMHO.

Growing up in Spain, artichokes with beef were the only preparation that I was exposed to. Really good stuff.

Alex

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I like to throw a few in Beef Stews, especially if I find the baby artichokes in the store. It is unfortunate that they are quite expensive IMHO.

Growing up in Spain, artichokes with beef were the only preparation that I was exposed to. Really good stuff.

Alex

Interesting to have them with beef (newish idea to me).

I didn't cook with them as much until I moved to N. California; here they are plentiful and reasonably priced at peak season.

One of the neatest things to me when I moved out here was seeing artichoke plants growing on cliffs off of Hwy 1 right next to the ocean. Apparently they love the cool, misty fog. It is an interesting plant if you've never seen it. Looks like a huge leafy bouquet coming out of the ground with long jagged leaves. At first I had no idea what type of crop they were--until you drive by at the right time and see the stalks poking up with artichokes on them! There are at least two seasons out here, although I'm not sure if the second crop is large enough for a lot of export. (That's also when we get our second strawberry crop).

Edited by ludja (log)

"Under the dusty almond trees, ... stalls were set up which sold banana liquor, rolls, blood puddings, chopped fried meat, meat pies, sausage, yucca breads, crullers, buns, corn breads, puff pastes, longanizas, tripes, coconut nougats, rum toddies, along with all sorts of trifles, gewgaws, trinkets, and knickknacks, and cockfights and lottery tickets."

-- Gabriel Garcia Marquez, 1962 "Big Mama's Funeral"

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I just used this in an aphrodisiac class: mix grated gruyere cheese with a little garlic and parsley in a food processor until it holds together when pinched between the fingers.

Then take an artichoke quarter (I used canned ones for this) and top it with a little of the filling, then another artichoke quarter. Wrap with a thin slice of prosciutto and run under the broiler for a couple of minutes on each side, until the cheese melts and the prosciutto gets crisp.

Just want to tell you thanks for posting this tidbit. I did them last night for friends and they were a huge hit! Very simple and VERY tasty...plus, something you don't see everywhere you go. :biggrin:

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I love artichokes. Any way you fix them. But here's a couple of methods for you to try.

NVNVGIRL,

I learned to make artichokes almost exactly like your recipe while renting a room from an Italian lady on the upper West Side years ago. They always get raves when I serve them.

The only thing I do differently is Instead of parsleyI use a few spigs of thyme or marjoram.

4 sprigs parsley

4 cloves garlic, split

2 bay leaves

2 lemons, cut in half

1 cup (or more) white wine

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 qt water or chicken broth

salt and pepper

artichokes

I serve with melted butter and lots of lemon.

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NVNVGIRL,

I learned to make artichokes almost exactly like your recipe while renting a room from an Italian lady on the upper West Side years ago. They always get raves when I serve them.

The only thing I do differently is Instead of parsleyI use a few spigs of thyme or marjoram.

Chowguy~ EXCELLENT idea! I LOVE thyme AND marjoram! Will use them next time I make them. Thanks for the suggestion! :biggrin:

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...One of the neatest things to me when I moved out here was seeing artichoke plants growing on cliffs off of Hwy 1 right next to the ocean. Apparently they love the cool, misty fog. It is an interesting plant if you've never seen it...

when i drove the Pacific Coast Highway, from Silicon Valley to LA, with my friend marijo, i kept on saying, "what are those weird-ass looking plants?" :laugh:

they were artichokes.

with their deeply serrated leaves, their size, and the chokes, the artichoke plant is indeed something to behold. :smile:

"The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the ocean."

--Isak Dinesen

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Artichokes.... I would eat them 3 meals a day if I could. Actually, I have eaten them 3 meals a day, gets the husband a little wierded out.

I think the Italians have a real handle on the artichoke, so many varieties, so many textures. Has anyone else had the red artichoke that you just eat raw with a little lemon juice and salt? Or thinly sliced raw artichoke, with a little shaved parmigiana, EVOO and lemon. Pure ambrosia. And what about arichokes Roman style with the delicious long stem. Why can't we buy stems in the U.S??

I have a question: there is a restaurant in downtown NYC, Col Legno, that serves fried baby artichokes. When you order, they arrive in seconds, flattened, a bit charred, a little salt, and finshed with chopped fresh mint. Which sounds strange, but actually gives the artichoke flavor an interesting counterbalance. So, I've tried to make these at home, all different ways. I've used super fresh baby 'chokes, I've steamed them, etc. but I can't get the whole choke to be edible the way they are at Col Legno. Any suggestions as to how to get a completely edible, fried, fresh baby artichoke?

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try braising them. take them down to trimmed quarters (this is best with "baby" artichokes, or at least less than hubcap size). Put them in a skillet with about 1/3 cup of water, a couple cloves of garlic and a good hit of olive oil. Cover and cook them over moderate heat until the artichokes are tender. Take off the lid and raise the heat to high. keep tossing them while they're cooking. the water will evaporate leaving behind a thick glaze of reduced artichoke juice and olive oil and the artichokes will brown slightly in this. so simple but totally amazing. and there are about a zillion variations.

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did i mention i was named after an artichoke? or rather, after a woman who was miss artichoke 1947 in watsonville california?

hint: my dad was a baseball player and friend of joe dimaggio.............

and it is my desert island vegetable.

sometimes i partially steam artichokes and then cut them into halves. Douse with vinaigrette and warm through with a bit of sliced roasted peppers and garlic added to the pan, so that the edges get a bit crispy and the vinaigrette permeates the artichokes.

eat with a bowl of caper mayonnaise for dipping.......

or barbecue artichokes like the sicilians do: parboil them if they are big, do it raw if they are not. barbecue over embers slowly and serve with a garlicky parsley flecked vinaigrette.....with a bit of diced tomato and oregano if desired.....

i add bits of artichoke cooked the braised way to lots and lots of dishes--i love them so. roasted chicken, pasta, minestras, risotti, fish in a sauce, salads.......

they're delicious with truffles especially.

Marlena the spieler

www.marlenaspieler.com

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Artichokes.... I would eat them 3 meals a day if I could. Actually, I have eaten them 3 meals a day, gets the husband a little wierded out.

I think the Italians have a real handle on the artichoke, so many varieties, so many textures. Has anyone else had the red artichoke that you just eat raw with a little lemon juice and salt? Or thinly sliced raw artichoke, with a little shaved parmigiana, EVOO and lemon. Pure ambrosia. And what about arichokes Roman style with the delicious long stem. Why can't we buy stems in the U.S???

Right there with you. I grew up in SF, in an Italian household - and now when my parents visit me in VA, I BEG them bring me a bag of fresh artichokes from Castroville (luckily, my grandparents live in Carmel, so it's not unreasonable for them to drive 2 hours to buy me 2 lbs of artichokes, it's a reason to visit the old folks).

My absolute favorite is freshly steamed, room temp artichokes with blue cheese dressing as a dip. In Gilroy you can buy "fried artichokes" that are frozen. Basically tempura artichokes. Again, tasty as anything with blue cheese dressing as a dip - especially if it's homemade.

As part of a more sophisicated dish, I really enjoy grilled or braised artichokes. Prepared simply again - to let the flavor shine, but my mother would often serve braised artichokes as part of our Sunday dinners...

yum... :wub:

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My absolute favorite is freshly steamed, room temp artichokes with blue cheese dressing as a dip. In Gilroy you can buy "fried artichokes" that are frozen. Basically tempura artichokes. Again, tasty as anything with blue cheese dressing as a dip - especially if it's homemade.

For the fried artichokes, are the chokes cleaned and quartered; or are baby ones fried whole?

"Under the dusty almond trees, ... stalls were set up which sold banana liquor, rolls, blood puddings, chopped fried meat, meat pies, sausage, yucca breads, crullers, buns, corn breads, puff pastes, longanizas, tripes, coconut nougats, rum toddies, along with all sorts of trifles, gewgaws, trinkets, and knickknacks, and cockfights and lottery tickets."

-- Gabriel Garcia Marquez, 1962 "Big Mama's Funeral"

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Excellent photos and explanation Chardgirl. The egg for scale was helpful.

I have another question: an Italian friend told me that if I want to eat the baby artichokes raw in a salad, I need to use chokes that very closed up, that once the leaves start to spread they will be too tough.

Any insight on this? Thanks!!

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Raw artichokes? Hmmmm They would need to be very very fresh, and the younger the better, in my opinion. Infant artichokes perhaps?

Yes, whether you'll be cooking or going raw, large ones or small ones, always look for the most closed up artichokes you can find. When you see recently-harvested chokes they're nearly squeaky. Grow them in your own garden or find a farmer that will truly cut them fresh for you: most farms here in the US as far as I know sell their artichokes out of inventory: the oldest get sold down before the recent cut ones go out.

Would you marinate those baby artichokes you might eat raw??

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