Springtime Artichokes
I grew up on artichokes.
They’ve always been one of my favorite foods, and my mother made them often, in season of course. She stuffs them with parmesan, bread crumbs , olive oil and salt and pepper. I used to make them that way, until I found that dairy and gluten are my undoing. Every once in a while, I make my own stuffed artichokes for my family, with gluten free bread crumbs and raw sheep cheese, shaking the ingredients in between the tender leaves as they sit upright in the steamer. Then I drizzle with olive oil and season and let them cook.
The beauty of these gems is the heart, and the heart of the choke needs no garnish in my book, so I love to make them in this very simple way that I’m sharing with you today.
Artichokes are a good source of fiber and high in antioxidants; so high in fiber that I caution you to not put them in your garbage disposal. (I tried that once many years ago and found my self having to buy a nice new garbage disposal that day) They also soothe our digestion thanks to silymarin, an antioxidant that helps the liver too. I know so many of my readers are intimidated by them, so here’s a simple guide to the most basic way to cook artichokes.
1. Remove the little dark petals close to the stem. With a very sharp knife, ( I use a serrated bread knife) slice off stem so its flush and artichoke can sit flat. With the same knife, slice off the top 1/3 so the pale green leaves show. Next take your kitchen shears and cut the tips of the outer petals.
2. Place a steamer in a large pot, and fill water to cover the basket. Add lemon peel and artichokes, stem down, to the basket. Drizzle the artichokes with olive oil and sea salt. Cover and steam for about 30 minutes or so.
3. Serve with vinaigrette of choice, or a small amount of grass fed butter for you healthy omnivores!
