By Shelly Koon
I must’ve been about 10 years old the first time I remember trying an artichoke. It was at a restaurant in Monterey, California. We were there on vacation, visiting the California Missions and Cannery Row. I remember I observed sea otters float on their backs in the Pacific Ocean.
When we went to dinner that night, my dad ordered artichokes for us to try. I found out later that he had always wanted to try them. To me, as a kid, the idea of dipping flower petals in butter and mayonnaise was surreal. Soon, I was scraping the base of each petal off with my teeth like I was born to it. I now know we were only a short way from Castroville where 99 % of American artichokes are grown. Dad and I shared our love of artichokes from then on.
Even though artichokes are widely considered a vegetable, they’re typically prepared and eaten like a vegetable, they taste like a vegetable, and they have a similar nutrient profile to many vegetables, they aren’t vegetables at all.
Artichokes are the edible flower buds of a type of thistle plant, native to the Mediterranean. They are prized for their meaty hearts and the tender flesh at the base of their leaves. Artichokes are nutrient dense, offering high amounts of fiber, vitamins (C, K, folate), and minerals like magnesium and potassium. The artichoke is in the sunflower family and can be grown as perennial or annual. In full growth, the plant spreads to about 6 feet in diameter and about 3 to 4 feet high. It has long arching leaves that give the plant a fern like appearance.
The first reference to artichokes dates to 371 B.C., when the Greek philosopher Theophrastus wrote about seeing the plants growing in Italy and Sicily. Scientists and historians believe the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans all enjoyed artichokes.
Artichokes originated in the Mediterranean and North African region from the wild cardoon thistle, cultivated by North African Moors around 800 A.D. and brought to Europe by Saracens, becoming popular in Italy and France, especially after Catherine de’ Medici introduced them to the French court in the 1500s, eventually spreading to the Americas with the French, who brought them to Louisiana, and the Spanish, who brought them to California.
I don’t like cooking fresh artichokes. It’s too much work for me, all that peeling and scraping of the choke. The leaves are good but so much work for so little reward is not my idea of fun. So, I stick to the hearts when I make them at home.
I always have a jar of marinated artichoke hearts in my pantry. I add them to pasta, put them on pizza, and eat them straight out of the jar.
Frozen artichokes are more like fresh artichokes and cook up quickly for pasta when needed. I add them to boxed mac and cheese. No need to thaw or cook them separately, just toss them into the pot of pasta in the last few minutes of cooking. Then drain and add in the sauce ingredients.
I add them to the pan when I roast large, diced potatoes in the oven. Just toss them both with olive oil and roast for 30-35 minutes at 425 degrees.
Here are two of my favorite artichoke recipes for you to try.
Baked Lemon Chicken and Artichokes
Ingredients
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts pounded to even thickness, OR 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 cup quartered artichoke hearts
• salt and pepper to taste
• ½ cup butter, melted
• juice of 1 lemon, (3-4 tablespoons)
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 4 teaspoons minced garlic
• ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a large baking sheet. Spread chicken and artichokes out on the baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Whisk together butter, lemon juice, honey, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Pour sauce over chicken and artichokes. Bake for 20-30 minutes, spooning sauce from pan over the chicken and artichokes halfway through and again at the end. Garnish with fresh thyme or oregano and serve immediately.
Spinach-Artichoke Tuna Noodle Casserole
Ingredients
• 1 stick salted butter, plus more for the baking dish
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more for the pasta
• 1 12-ounce package wide egg noodle
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 10-ounce package baby spinach (about 8 packed cups)
• 1 14-ounce can artichoke quarters, drained, rinsed and chopped (not marinated)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups whole milk, warmed
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature, cut into 4 pieces
• 3 5-6 ounce cans white albacore tuna in water, drained
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-inch or other 3-quart baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the egg noodles and cook according to the package directions for al dente. Drain and set aside. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in the same pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until it starts to turn golden, about 1 minute. Crank up the heat to medium high, add half of the spinach and cook until just starting to wilt, about 30 seconds. Add the remaining spinach and continue cooking until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the spinach from the pot with tongs and put it in a strainer over a bowl. Use the tongs to squeeze the excess liquid into the bowl. Return the liquid to the pot. Add the artichokes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid evaporates and the artichokes start to turn golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the artichokes to the strainer with the spinach and set aside. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in the same pot over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Gradually add milk and sherry, whisking until smooth before adding more. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle in the 1⁄2 teaspoon each salt and pepper and stir. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Remove the pot from the heat and add the cream cheese, whisking it to melt. Stir in the tuna, then stir in the spinach and artichokes and half of the parsley. Add the noodles and stir until coated. Transfer the mixture to the baking dish. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the microwave. Toss with the panko and remaining parsley. Top the casserole with the panko mixture. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden, 25 to 30 minutes.
