Cookaholics Bulletin Board

The pak choi place I posted about also has stunning artichokes at the moment. Big ones and tiny ones too. I love artichokes but always make them the same way (steamed with vinegar or mayo... I don't even bother making a sauce). I have made a stuffed one with brown rice and feta that is very good (Moosewood) but am curious to know what you all do with these.

Mary

Mary
In the summer I like to grill them. I par boil them cut them in half then scoop out the fuzzy thistle, toss in olive oil and grill, cut side down. I serve it with a variety of sauces but my favorite is aoili
Ilene

Oh I forgot, I had them like that at my friend Anne's last summer and they were fantastic. Thanks for the reminder.

Mary

I used to make baby artichokes "roman" style but haven't made them in a while so I can't give you a clue. I'll check my recipes when I get home.

Founds this online. It sounds familiar:
Roman-style braised baby artichokes
Serves 4 to 6.
• 16 to 24 baby artichokes
• 1/3 c. olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 c. white wine, chicken broth or vegetable broth, plus more if needed
• 2 to 3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Directions

Slice off the top 1/2-inch of the artichokes, snap off the outer dark green leaves and slice
off the stems. Cut in half lengthwise. Place artichokes in a bowl filled with acidulated
water as you go (about 2 ounces of fresh lemon juice to a quart of water) to keep them
from browning.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add garlic and sauté about 3 minutes. Drain baby artichokes and place cut-side down in skillet. Sauté until they begin to brown at the edges, about 5 minutes. Add wine and lemon juice. Cover and simmer until artichokes are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes, adding a little more water or broth if the pan starts to look dry.

Remove artichokes with a slotted spoon and set aside. Increase heat to high and boil
liquid in pan until reduced to just a few tablespoons. Spoon reduced liquid over
artichokes before serving.

Nutrition information per serving of 6:Calories 180 Fat 12 g Sodium 130 mg
Carbohydrates 16 g Saturated fat 2 g Calcium 65 mg Protein 5 g Cholesterol 0 mg Dietary fiber 7 g

For the tiny ones, braised is the best. For the big ones, steamed or boiled until done, then dipped in melted butter leaf by leaf. Leftovers get curried mayo. I've had baked and stuffed, but never made one.

Mary,

Fresh artichoke hearts also add a lot of flavor to a dish, even if extracting them seems incredibly wasteful. For example, I love to put them in paella; last week I made a noodle paella with fresh sliced artichoke hearts, tomatoes and dungeness crab. For Paella, you add the artichokes early, at the same time as the onions or garlic.

Canned artichoke hearts don't come close.

Thanks, you guys are so great. I think I will make Nancy's recipe for my osso buco on Saturday. Can they be made ahead?
Josh, I have often been tempted to do fresh artichoke hearts but thought of not using the rest has always unsettled me. I might just have to buckle down and try it after that rave review! I never heard of a noodle paella. Please send the recipe and some dungeness crab so I can try it.

Mary

Thanks Nancy! I like to have things done as much as possible so my guests don't interfere with my eating and drinking.

Mary

Do you have a fax machine? Dungeness can't be sent over e-mail.