Art-i-what? Art-i-who?
Choke. Atrichoke.
I’ve eaten one before, that I know for sure. I even remember my neighbor cooking an artichoke and stinking up the entire neighborhood. My Step Mom went next door to make sure everyone was still alive. Seriously, the world smelt that bad. After that incident, I refused to ever eat an artichoke. She promised me that the neighbors had just overcooked it, and that artichokes were in fact delicious. Nope, so sorry, not buying it.
Finally, as a grown up, I did eventually buy the canned hearts and put them in a pasta dish. That’s about the extent of my art-y-choke endeavors. So trust me when I tell you that this has never happened to me…
I attempted to write an instructional post on how to cook an artichoke. I even found a cool resource on how to eat an artichoke. Imagine my disappointment when I learned I had to be taught how to eat. But, I guess you learn something new everyday!
Anyway, I have no business talking about artichokes. Although I did cook these three bad boys {and they were darn good!} and so I know that you can too!
Here are the most helpful links I found on the subject:
Simply Recipes: Their post on how to cook and eat artichokes was exactly what I was looking for. Simple instructions, helpful photos. If I had a dream artichoke blog post, this would be it.
California Artichoke Advisory Board: Because you know that anything California has got to say is totally awesome. But really, there is a cute kid’s corner tab with some fun junior info.
Artichoke Spinach Lasagna: a very highly rated recipe from All Recipes {this recipe calls for the canned stuff, but I’m sure you can throw in the fresh}
This simple All Recipes technique of steaming the artichoke, with bits of butter and garlic tucked into the leaves, is what I did with my fresh artichoke. I gotta say, it turned out pretty darn amazing.
But I’ll stick to the canned variety next time. Much easier, and less time. Less stinky, too.
Do you have a go-to recipe for fresh artichoke? Or do you take your artichoke the simple steamed way?
MMM… one of my favorite treats! Here one of my fav recipes…
purchase any size artichoke…cut stem and trim thorns from leaves. Steam or simmer whole. Cool down and refrigerate till cold. Marinade: 1c. Olive oil 1/2 c. red wine vinegar juice of 1/2 a lemon 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. pepper 1/2 tsp. Herbs de Provence 1 tsp. garlic. Depending on size…cut artichokes in half remove choke with a teaspoon…may want to quarter if large. Pour marinade over artichokes…I cook night before and marinate in the morning..you can leave on the counter or in fridge all day…grill till you see light char marks and they are warmed through. You can serve this with a basil pesto mayo…but the flavor is great on it’s own.