Let’s Talk About Artichokes
BY MARYANN MIANO
TThe artichoke is a wonderful, yet strange, prickly vegetable associated
with springtime. The goal of eating it is to get to its bottom, considered
the reward of its tender, meaty flesh. There is work involved
– you’ll need to pull and tug the tougher, spiny outer leaves, scraping the
little bit of the thistle with your teeth, if you want to reveal the heart of
the artichoke.
The little artichoke is quite the nutrition powerhouse. Artichokes
are only 60 calories and are fat- and cholesterol-free. They provide iron,
large doses of vitamin C, dietary fiber, magnesium and folate. Cynarin, a
compound extracted from artichokes, has anti-inflammatory and cholesterol
lowering properties and helps lower blood sugar. The artichoke is a
natural diuretic, a digestive aid and provides nutrition to health-promoting
bacteria in the intestinal tract. But it doesn’t stop there. Artichokes are
good sources of fiber, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and vitamins A
and B.
Prepare an artichoke for cooking as follows:
• Securely hold the artichoke and cut off the top 1/3 of the vegetable with
a sharp knife. Cut the stem at the base so the artichoke will sit upright in
the pan.
• Snap off the toughest outer leaves, starting at the base. When the leaves
do not snap as readily, you’ve removed enough of the tough leaves.
• With kitchen scissors, snip the top of the remaining outer leaves to remove
the sharp spike.
• Spread the outer leaves apart from the center choke as far as you can to
remove the inner leaves and fuzzy choke. The main part of the choke has
to be dug out so that, with a spoon, you can scrape out the hairy part of
the choke that covers the heart. Leave the heart intact. If you would rather
avoid this step, the choke can be easily removed after cooking in the process
of “dismantling” the artichoke to enjoy.
• It’s a good idea to drizzle some lemon juice over the cut parts of the
artichoke to avoid discoloration.
At this point, you can place the artichokes in a steamer in a cooking
pot, with enough water to steam but not enough to touch the bottom of
the artichokes. Season with salt and some olive oil. Steam for about 40
minutes, then prepare a dip of melted butter or of mayonnaise. The individual
leaves are pulled from their fleshy base, dipped in the butter, and
eaten one at a time, using your teeth to scrape the soft part of the curved
portion of the leaf. This is enjoying the vegetable in its simplest terms. The
leaf is then discarded.
This spring, surprise your family with this easy-to-prepare but fantastically
delicious (and pretty presentation, too!) recipe.
44 MAY 2020 | TheJournalNJ.com
ARTICHOKE PIE
Ingredients
• 2 cans artichoke hearts, drained well (squeeze all excess water) and
cut into small pieces
• 1-8 oz. mozzarella cheese, cut into small pieces
• 4 eggs
• 1 clove of garlic, finely minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• ½ stick pepperoni or dried sausage, diced or grated
• ½ cup of grating cheese (percorino or parmesan)
• 2 deep dish pastry pie crusts (in the freezer section of your local supermarket),
or use your own recipe for pastry crust
Directions
Mix all of the above ingredients thoroughly in a
large bowl.
Place mixture in pie shell and use second shell to
cover the top.
Use beaten egg yolks to glaze the top of the pie
crust, being sure to cut a steam vent. Snip excess
crust around the edge with scissors.
Place in preheated oven at 350 ° for one hour.
Remove from oven and let sit for several minutes to
allow pie to firm before cutting.
/TheJournalNJ.com