It’s Artichoke season and for those who have never eaten fresh Artichokes, you are in for a treat! Eating fresh unadulterated artichokes would have to be one the most social and enjoyable things to do.
The big flower buds are the bit to eat, harvest them just before they start to open and boil them whole, when they turn from a vibrant to a dull green (around 30 minutes) pour them into a strainer and they’re ready to go.
Now is the fun bit!
Make sure you have a big empty bowl ready as there’ll be plenty of left over, peel off the first few outer scales then as soon as you see a scale with a fleshy base use your teeth to strip the flesh out. The fleshy bit gets bigger and bigger the further you get in until at last you get to the heart. The heart is the reward at the end. Except for the spike at the tip (which can be used as a handle) the whole heart is delicious. The stem is pretty good to.
We enjoy eating our artichokes “French style” with a bit of mustard vinaigrette. Simply mix one third red wine vinegar and two thirds olive oil and a good teaspoon of mustard and stir or shake well. Place your fork under one end of your plate so the plate sits on an angle. Pour your sauce onto the dish that has been created at the bottom of your plate……start peeling your artichoke, dipping the bit you are about to eat in the vinaigrette first. You’ll end up with a big pile of scales at the top and a clean dipping sauce at the bottom.
Nutritional Info……….good for cleansing and detoxifying the liver, reduce cholesterol and blood sugar and stimulate the gall bladder.
