Steamed Artichokes

It’s June 1 and these are the last of our artichokes. We had two plants: a Roma and a Violetta (instead of the usual Green Globe). I harvested the first flowerhead of each plant in early May. These are the secondary heads.

This has been an experiment. I tried a few times before. Each plant was in a medium container (10 gallons). They required daily watering and twice-weekly fertilizer. It is a lot of work for 6 artichokes!

The internet suggests that boil/steam is slightly better than microwaving. Marie has used the microwave method for 30 years and it tastes the same. This recipe is a version from Bobby Flay.

Ingredients:

  • 3 to 4 artichokes
  • 1 lemon
  • tablespoon salt
  • tablespoon herbs (thyme, basil, oregano)

Preparing the Artichokes

  • Prepare the artichokes (Cut off the top half-inch of the artichoke using a knife; Remove the small outer leaves; snip off the thorny tops using scissors; run water over the chokes to flush out any critters)

The Boil/Steam method

  • In a large pot (a spaghetti pot) add two inches of water and start boiling
  • Add juice of one lemon, a tablespoon salt, the prepared artichokes, and maybe a tablespoon of some herbs like thyme
  • Cover and steam for 25 to 40 minutes (starting checking every 5 minutes after 20)

The Microwave Steam method

  • Wrap the artichokes in plastic and seal firmly
  • Microwave for 5 minutes
  • Check for doneness by sticking fork into bottom. If the fork goes in easily then the artichoke is done. Else microwave for 2 more minutes and repeat.

After the cooking

  • Let cool and then cut in half vertically
  • Scoop outĀ  and discard the fiberous material above the artichoke heart
  • If grilling, add oil dressing then grillĀ  4 minutes on the cut side and then 2 minutes on the uncut side
  • Dip your artichoke in your dressings (butter, mayo, etc)

Check Also

pickled green beans and carrots

Dilly Beans

In the summer, when you have more string beans than you can eat fresh, consider …