Whole cooked artichokes
I mentioned in my previous post that artichokes were included in my first CSA box. I absolutely love artichoke hearts and use them all the time in salads, but cooking whole artichokes requires a lot more time and effort. Be prepared that cooking and eating a whole artichoke involves a lot of waste. If you are okay with that though, you will totally enjoy this easy recipe for delicious, fresh artichokes cooked whole.
Ingredients:
- 2 C vegetable broth
- 1 t. salt
- 1 t. pepper
- 1 T ground ginger
- 1 T ground garlic (or 1 T chopped fresh garlic)
- 1 green chile split in half
- 1/2 small red onion roughly chopped
- 1 T white wine vinegar
- 2 T balsamic vinegar
- 2 sprigs of parsley
- 1/2 a lime
- 1 T olive oil
- butter (to serve)
Recipe:
1. Prep artichokes by cutting off stems and peeling off the lowest petals. Also, cut off the top 1 to 1.5 inches of each artichoke so that it no longer comes to a point and so that the cooking liquid will be absorbed.
2. Heat olive oil and add garlic, ginger, onion, salt, pepper, and green chile in a small pot with a lid.
3. Add broth, vinegars, and juice of half a lime to the pot. Then add in the remaining lime and parsley to flavor and bring to a low boil.
4. Reduce heat and put artichokes in the flavored broth with the stem-side up. Cover and cook for 35 minutes until a knife can piece the choke center without resistance.
5. To eat: Pull off each leaf and scrape the tender artichoke flesh with your teeth. You can dip in butter (or mayo) and eat each petal. Do not try to eat the actual petals.
6. When you get to the center, the fuzzy choke will be visible. This should be removed in order to get to the artichoke heart aka THE BEST PART. Scrape this fuzz away with a fork and enjoy the center!!
