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Artichokes

These flowers (yes, flowers) are not only delicious, they’re rich in antioxidants, high in fiber, and good for your circulation.

By Cary Neff

May 2009

Food Basics
Nutritional Know-How
Eat Up!
Kitchen Tricks

Artichokes combine a lightly sweet and herbacious flavor with a soft, creamy texture. Once you know a few tricks for preparing them, it will be a snap to include this nutritional powerhouse in your cooking.

Food Basics
The artichoke is a flower bud. A member of the lettuce family, it grows at or near the top of the stalk of a perennial thistle that originated in southern Europe. We eat two parts of the artichoke: the tender parts of the leaves and the “heart” (the base of the flower bud). The “choke,” which is removed before eating, consists of fuzzy, spiky florets in the center of the bud, just on top of the heart. Baby or cocktail artichokes, which grow lower on the stalk and are harvested before they reach maturity, are more tender than full-grown artichokes, and their chokes do not need to be removed. Artichokes can be purchased fresh, canned, jarred or frozen. When buying fresh, look for leaves with a tight formation. Squeeze the artichokes and listen for a squeaky sound from plump and crisp leaves. A slight browning of the leaves is natural, but avoid those with heavy browning.

Nutritional Know-How
The artichoke is rich in lutein, the yellow or orange pigment in many vegetables, which is essential for healthy eyes and a well-functioning circulatory system. Lutein helps ward off cataracts and macular degeneration; it also prevents or delays the onset of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). This delicious vegetable contains very high levels of phenolics, which have antioxidant properties and are known to lower cholesterol. Artichokes are a good source of dietary fiber and minerals, including potassium, magnesium, manganese, iron and calcium, as well as vitamin C and the B vitamins.

Eat Up!

For a satisfying and healthful snack, boil or steam an artichoke. First remove all tough outer leaves (the first layer and ring or two around stem) to expose the light green leaves. To boil, place in salted water with one or two cut lemons for 30 to 45 minutes (depending on size) until the bottom pierces easily with a sharp knife. Boiling allows the artichoke to absorb the lemon flavors. Steam by placing in a steamer basket over 2 to 4 inches of boiling water for 40 to 50 minutes. Serve boiled or steamed artichoke whole. Remove leaves one at a time, dipping them into your favorite vinaigrette or butter, and use your front teeth to scrape the tender stuff into your mouth. Spread open the final delicate leaves and remove the choke with a teaspoon. The heart can be sliced and shared or you can eat it with your fingers.
Sauté sliced, raw artichoke hearts in a small amount of olive oil and finish by simmering in vegetable or chicken stock or water for two to four minutes. Serve as a side dish to entrées — vegetarian, poultry, fish or meat.
Purée cooked artichoke hearts flavored with garlic, lemon juice and chopped flat parsley, and serve on toast or use as a bed under a poached or sautéed fish filet or chicken breast.

Kitchen Tricks

To keep artichokes moist, sprinkle with a few drops of water before sealing them in a plastic bag and storing in the refrigerator.
Right before cooking, wash fresh artichokes under cold water, carefully tapping the leaves and opening slightly to ensure that no little bugs have found a home inside.
Canned or jarred artichokes should be rinsed to remove the brine and reduce sodium content. You can rinse artichokes that have been packed in oil, too, if you like.
After cutting fresh artichokes, place in a bowl of cool water with the juice of one or two lemons to prevent browning.

Chef Cary Neff is the president of the consulting firm Culinary Innovations and the author of the New York Times bestseller Conscious Cuisine (Sourcebooks, 2002).

For details on how to prepare Tomato, Artichoke and Onion Salad, Artichoke Soup, and Artichoke Spread, see the Web Extras! at the top right of this page.

Artichokes

These flowers (yes, flowers) are not only delicious, they’re rich in antioxidants, high in fiber, and good for your circulation.

By Cary Neff

Inspired Kitchen Department,
May 2009

Food Basics
Nutritional Know-How
Eat Up!
Kitchen Tricks

Food Basics (Back to Top)
The artichoke is a flower bud. A member of the lettuce family, it grows at or near the top of the stalk of a perennial thistle that originated in southern Europe. We eat two parts of the artichoke: the tender parts of the leaves and the “heart” (the base of the flower bud). The “choke,” which is removed before eating, consists of fuzzy, spiky florets in the center of the bud, just on top of the heart. Baby or cocktail artichokes, which grow lower on the stalk and are harvested before they reach maturity, are more tender than full-grown artichokes, and their chokes do not need to be removed. Artichokes can be purchased fresh, canned, jarred or frozen. When buying fresh, look for leaves with a tight formation. Squeeze the artichokes and listen for a squeaky sound from plump and crisp leaves. A slight browning of the leaves is natural, but avoid those with heavy browning.

Nutritional Know-How (Back to Top)
The artichoke is rich in lutein, the yellow or orange pigment in many vegetables, which is essential for healthy eyes and a well-functioning circulatory system. Lutein helps ward off cataracts and macular degeneration; it also prevents or delays the onset of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). This delicious vegetable contains very high levels of phenolics, which have antioxidant properties and are known to lower cholesterol. Artichokes are a good source of dietary fiber and minerals, including potassium, magnesium, manganese, iron and calcium, as well as vitamin C and the B vitamins.

Eat Up! (Back to Top)

For a satisfying and healthful snack, boil or steam an artichoke. First remove all tough outer leaves (the first layer and ring or two around stem) to expose the light green leaves. To boil, place in salted water with one or two cut lemons for 30 to 45 minutes (depending on size) until the bottom pierces easily with a sharp knife. Boiling allows the artichoke to absorb the lemon flavors. Steam by placing in a steamer basket over 2 to 4 inches of boiling water for 40 to 50 minutes. Serve boiled or steamed artichoke whole. Remove leaves one at a time, dipping them into your favorite vinaigrette or butter, and use your front teeth to scrape the tender stuff into your mouth. Spread open the final delicate leaves and remove the choke with a teaspoon. The heart can be sliced and shared or you can eat it with your fingers.
Sauté sliced, raw artichoke hearts in a small amount of olive oil and finish by simmering in vegetable or chicken stock or water for two to four minutes. Serve as a side dish to entrées — vegetarian, poultry, fish or meat.
Purée cooked artichoke hearts flavored with garlic, lemon juice and chopped flat parsley, and serve on toast or use as a bed under a poached or sautéed fish filet or chicken breast.

Kitchen Tricks (Back to Top)

To keep artichokes moist, sprinkle with a few drops of water before sealing them in a plastic bag and storing in the refrigerator.
Right before cooking, wash fresh artichokes under cold water, carefully tapping the leaves and opening slightly to ensure that no little bugs have found a home inside.
Canned or jarred artichokes should be rinsed to remove the brine and reduce sodium content. You can rinse artichokes that have been packed in oil, too, if you like.
After cutting fresh artichokes, place in a bowl of cool water with the juice of one or two lemons to prevent browning.

Chef Cary Neff is the president of the consulting firm Culinary Innovations and the author of the New York Times bestseller Conscious Cuisine (Sourcebooks, 2002).

For details on how to prepare Tomato, Artichoke and Onion Salad, Artichoke Soup, and Artichoke Spread, see the Web Extras! at the top right of this page.