Artichoke ... Food of the gods

I grow artichokes. I almost didn't. When I bought this property there were three artichoke plants in the very wrong place. Artichokes are very large plants and if they are in the wrong place they are very wrong. I couldn't dig them out so I thought if I ignored them, didn't water them, and just generally let them know they were considered pests, they would disappear. They didn't. They continued to grow. They didn't produce, but they did not go away. Since that time I have remodeled the house, rearranged a driveway and put in a fence. The artichokes did not move, things around them did, and suddenly they were in a very nice place. With a little water, a little fertilizer they now produce nicely. They seem to have forgiven me.



Most home gardeners are not going to be able to grow artichokes in their garden. Even here in Northern California we do not have optimum conditions. Artichokes need 100 frost free growing days, mild winters and sunny but moist summers. I lack on the last but try to make up for it by spraying them with water every once in a while and hope the morning fog we get most summer days takes care of the rest. All of the commercially grown artichokes in the U.S. are grown in California. The central coast of the state is where the growing fields are clustered, not too far from the ocean. If you are ever driving near Castroville do take time to visit.


I have only two problems with growing artichokes. They produce suckers, little side artichoke plants. The plant has to be dug and raised enough to get rid of those. If that is not done, they will produce less. If you have enough neighbors who want them, they make a nice gift, otherwise they go on the compost heap. The other problem is earwigs. Those little bugs love to hide down in the openings of the bud.


Yes, the artichoke you purchase at the supermarket is actually a flower bud. I do sometimes allow an artichoke to grow into full flower. This is very spectacular; the fuzzy stuff you remove in the kitchen will have grown out to an intense, almost neon blue. These flowers can be dried and used in winter arrangements.


The very big artichokes come from the center stalk. The mid size artichokes are the next highest stalks. Down along the stems are the "baby" artichokes. If left on the stem the babies will become little flowers, they will never grow into bigger artichokes. If you can get a bag of the babies feel lucky. Peel off the outer leaves until you reach the light green, inner ones. Slice off the tips of the leaves and cut the largest of them in half. If there is a visible fuzzy choke, remove it. If there is none don't bother cutting the smaller ones in half if you don't want to.


Braise these in olive oil with garlic and thyme or rosemary and any other accompaniments you might like. You could try tomatoes, onions, olives or even some other kind of vegetable like asparagus, summer squash or even eggplant.


The larger artichokes are usually served whole with mayonnaise or drawn butter for dunking. They also make good holders for salads. Boil the artichoke (30 to 45 minutes, depending on size). Open the petals and scoop out the choke, then fill with your choice of salad. Crab is spectacular, but even tuna is good.



Recipe


Artichokes and chicken have an affinity for each other When cooked together they create a blend of flavors that is much more than either could be alone. If you do not have a large clay pot, this can be done in a Dutch oven. The result is not quite the same, but it will work. You may have to remove the lid and raise the heat for that last 15 minutes or run it under the broiler to brown the skin at the end.

Chicken and Artichokes in a Clay Pot

Serves 4 to 6

2 onions, sliced

3 cloves garlic, smashed, peeled

1/4 cup finely minced parsley

1 lemons, halved
2 to 4 artichokes, depending on size, trimmed and halved, or quartered
6 fresh sage leaves
1 3 to 4 pound chicken
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons flavorless oil
3 springs fresh thyme

Trim and cut the artichokes and submerge in water with the juice of the lemon. Save the remnants of the lemon.

Soak the clay pot as the manufacturer directs. When it is ready, drain and spread the onions on the bottom. Then add the garlic and parsley. Scatter the sage leaves over the onions.

Generously season the chicken with salt and freshly ground pepper; place it, breast side up, on the onions. Tuck the trimmed artichokes around the chicken shoving them down as far as possible. Place the thyme sprigs and the lemon rind in between all. Drizzle the oil over the chicken.





Cover the pot and place in a cold oven and turn the heat on to 425 F and set time for 1 hour and a half to 1 hour 45 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken.

When ready to serve, remove the chicken to a platter. Add the artichokes. Drain the liquid to a container where you can remove the fat. Serve this defatted jus poured over the chicken, or in a separate server.

Tip

As you can see, I do use the stem of the artichoke quite often. If you pare off the outer fibrous part, leaving the extension of the heart, it is quite lovely.

If the parts of the artichokes that are not pushed far enough in the pot will become hard and dry. Place the heart end of the choke deepest into the pot that way only the inedible part will be affected and the heart and base of the leaf will still be very good. Rather a lot of juice is gathered in the bottom of the pot which keeps the artichoke soft.

P.S. I have received several emails and I do appreciate them and I do answer them. But I would like to encourage you to use the comment section here on the blog.

There was a question about the beet salad recipe. Yes, Nani, I often use grated beets as opposed to the julienned beets called for in the recipe. I find each method of cutting the beet gives not just a different texture but also a different taste. I suppose that the difference in taste is a perception rather than a fact. You are right, though, it is a lot easier and faster to do grated beets, especially if you use a food processor.