Globe Artichokes are in Season! (1 Viewer)

DBK

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Coming through Brittany a few days ago I was reminded this is the globe artichoke season. They grow a lot of them in the area, especially around Roscoff and this Sunday there is even an artichoke fête. :)



Worth going to if you are anywhere in the area.

But how, I hear you say, do you prepare them? They're a relative of thistles, are they even edible?

Yes! They are delicous.

The problem with globe artichokes is the choke - which is the hairy bit at the heart of the flower. Removing this when the artichoke is raw is a pain but the beauty of this recipe is it avoids you having to wrestle the artichoke to the floor to deal with the choke.

Start with your artichokes. You could pinch these from a field if you are in the right place but I can't endorse such behaviour. :)


LRM_EXPORT_4497419998541_20190711_194724618.jpeg


Trim the stalk flush with the bottom of the flower then cut them in half. You will need a sharp knife for this and try to finish with the same number of fingers as you start off with. :)

LRM_EXPORT_4507565219303_20190711_194734760.jpeg


The fibrous bits you can see are the chokes. Just leave them in place and boil the lot for 30 minutes in water to which the juice of a lemon has been added plus the two lemon halves.

LRM_EXPORT_4485095032478_20190711_194712293.jpeg


After 30 minutes take them out of the water and let them cool. You can speed this up by immersing them in cold water. When they are cool enough to handle take a teaspoon and remove the choke and the thin red scales above them. Unlike when raw this time the choke will almost fall out on its own. :)

LRM_EXPORT_4491124642496_20190711_194718323.jpeg


Serve with a dressing of some sort. Hollandaise is traditional but not easy to make in the MH so either buy it in a jar or just use melted butter, vinaigrette or whatever.

But how do you eat them? It couldn't be easier - once you know the trick. The flower head is made up of lots of what are usually called scales or more scientifically "bracts". All you do is pull them off one at a time, dip the base of the scale in the dressing and then nibble the base of the scale to extract the fleshy bit. When you've finished off all the scales the best bit comes last - the heart, which is the disc of soft flesh you will have left on your plate.

OK, it may not be the most MH friendly recipe, it needs a lot of water and a big pan but do give it a try. :)
 
Sep 26, 2013
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They used to be quite a few grown around La Manga but I noticed last year they have changed over to more Mellon’s instead, must be more profit in them or people have tried them.

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Aug 18, 2014
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They used to be quite a few grown around La Manga but I noticed last year they have changed over to more Mellon’s instead, must be more profit in them or people have tried them.
Artichokes are big business & have been consistently the best value crop for the 17 years I have lived here. You also get 2 complete years from a planting ,if not 3 .
No idea why as it is the spanish who eat the most & love them. Just as the North europeans eat the brocoli that is grown 99% of which is solely for them. Spaniards rarely eat the stuff.
All artichokes grown here are sold through 2 brothers who have made themselves exceedingly rich over the years.
 
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I’ve only eaten them when staying in France with French friends. I might just try to prepare them myself now. Delicious ... thank you!
 
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Nov 18, 2011
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never eaten one that i know of bit posh for me those things
bill

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Feb 11, 2017
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Delicious, but we cook them simpler - trim the base of, cook whole in acidulated water, 30-35 minutes, leave to cool.Start from the outside leaves, work inwards, the last few leaves peel away whole, and you can eat the ends by chewing them off. And it’s quite satisfying to just pull the choke off whole. Not as elegant as DBK’s method, though.

Even better though in my view are the really small ones you find late spring - French hypermarkets sometimes have them from Italy, quite expensive. But they grow them in Spain on the coast near Peniscola, and the shops there sell them for under €1 a kilo. They’re easier in the van too - a smaller pan, and ready in around 12-15 minutes.

We used to grow them in the garden- in the days before motorhoming, when we managed to garden! They were quite prolific.
 
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DBK

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Delicious, but we cook them simpler - trim the base of, cook whole in acidulated water, 30-35 minutes, leave to cool.Start from the outside leaves, work inwards, the last few leaves peel away whole, and you can eat the ends by chewing them off. And it’s quite satisfying to just pull the choke off whole. Not as elegant as DBK’s method, though.

Even better though in my view are the really small ones you find late spring - French hypermarkets sometimes have them from Italy, quite expensive. But they grow them in Spain on the coast near Peniscola, and the shops there sell them for under €1 a kilo. They’re easier in the van too - a smaller pan, and ready in around 12-15 minutes.

We used to grow them in the garden- in the days before motorhoming, when we managed to garden! They were quite prolific.
I must try cooking them whole. Anything for simplicity. :)
 
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Walked past a open fronted restaurant on one of the Spanish islands (can’t remember which one) and they were cooking only artichokes and it was rammed .

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Jim

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I remember 36 years ago me and Siân were served one each in a restaurant, we had no idea what it was or how to eat it, it was as good as raw, came with some awful sauce and was indestructible I remember it was messy giggles as we tried to tear or cut bits off it, I think we both gave up. :D

Siân often serves them now, we love them.,
 
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Dazzlin

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Murder at tesco's.

Tired of constantly being broke & stuck in an unhappy marriage, a young husband decided to solve both problems by taking out a large insurance policy on his wife with himself as the beneficiary, and then arranging to have her killed.
A 'friend of a friend' put him in touch with a nefarious, dark-side, underworld figure who went by the name of 'Artie.' Artie then explained to the husband that his going price for snuffing out a spouse was £5,000.
The husband said he was willing to pay that amount, but that he wouldn't have any cash on hand until he could collect his wife's insurance money.
Artie insisted on being paid at least something up front, so the man opened his wallet, displaying the single pound coin that rested inside. Artie sighed, rolled his eyes, & reluctantly agreed to accept the pound as down payment for the dirty deed.
A few days later, Artie followed the man's wife to the local Tesco where he surprised her in the fruit & vegetable department. There he proceeded to strangle her with his gloved hands, but as the poor unsuspecting woman drew her last breath and slumped to the floor the manager of the fruit & vegetable department stumbled unexpectedly onto the murder scene. Unwilling to leave any living witnesses behind, Artie had no choice but to strangle the manager as well.
However, unknown to Artie, the entire proceedings were captured by hidden security cameras and observed by the store's security guard, who immediately called the police.
Artie was caught and arrested before he could even leave the store. Under intense questioning at the police station, Artie revealed the whole sordid plan, including his unusual financial arrangements with the hapless husband who was also quickly arrested.
The next day in the newspaper,the headline declared............























'ARTIE CHOKES TWO FOR A POUND AT TESCO!'
 

Dazzlin

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We bought a few in Spain last year.
Sought the assistance of google recipes.......

Chop base off so they stand upright.
Boil for 2-3 days.
Cut off outer leaves til you find a soft one
Outer leaves you can suck the good bits out using your teeth.
Fry in butter n loads of garlic.

Next time buy tin/jar of artichoke hearts, add equal quantity of butter and garlic, fry n enjoy.........

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Will have to look out for some in the shops over here, keen to try them as I love the ones preserved in oil, especially on a pizza.
 
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Camdoon

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Leaving for La Belle in 11 days, been busy so not that excited as yet. This article has changed that. Time to start the packing!
 
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Camdoon

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They used to be quite a few grown around La Manga but I noticed last year they have changed over to more Mellon’s instead, must be more profit in them or people have tried them.
I have never tried your melons. Matron.

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Coming through Brittany a few days ago I was reminded this is the globe artichoke season. They grow a lot of them in the area, especially around Roscoff and this Sunday there is even an artichoke fête. :)



Worth going to if you are anywhere in the area.

But how, I hear you say, do you prepare them? They're a relative of thistles, are they even edible?

Yes! They are delicous.

The problem with globe artichokes is the choke - which is the hairy bit at the heart of the flower. Removing this when the artichoke is raw is a pain but the beauty of this recipe is it avoids you having to wrestle the artichoke to the floor to deal with the choke.

Start with your artichokes. You could pinch these from a field if you are in the right place but I can't endorse such behaviour. :)


View attachment 317455

Trim the stalk flush with the bottom of the flower then cut them in half. You will need a sharp knife for this and try to finish with the same number of fingers as you start off with. :)

View attachment 317454

The fibrous bits you can see are the chokes. Just leave them in place and boil the lot for 30 minutes in water to which the juice of a lemon has been added plus the two lemon halves.

View attachment 317456

After 30 minutes take them out of the water and let them cool. You can speed this up by immersing them in cold water. When they are cool enough to handle take a teaspoon and remove the choke and the thin red scales above them. Unlike when raw this time the choke will almost fall out on its own. :)

View attachment 317453

Serve with a dressing of some sort. Hollandaise is traditional but not easy to make in the MH so either buy it in a jar or just use melted butter, vinaigrette or whatever.

But how do you eat them? It couldn't be easier - once you know the trick. The flower head is made up of lots of what are usually called scales or more scientifically "bracts". All you do is pull them off one at a time, dip the base of the scale in the dressing and then nibble the base of the scale to extract the fleshy bit. When you've finished off all the scales the best bit comes last - the heart, which is the disc of soft flesh you will have left on your plate.

OK, it may not be the most MH friendly recipe, it needs a lot of water and a big pan but do give it a try. :)
Best if your on your own. Flatulance !
 
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DBK

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Best if your on your own. Flatulance !
Wrong sort of artichoke. :) It's Jerusalem artichokes which have the er.... aftershocks. This is why they are also known as fartichokes. :) I can confirm the reputation is well deserved and they are not a MH friendly vegetable. Great fun though! :)
 
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bobandjanie

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Must say I thought the same about them, you see them for sale here and always resisted temptation, 🤔 but ............. last Wednesday we went round friends for tapas and had them with a blue cheese dip and didn't dislike them, 😉 but that may have been the fact they managed to pour large quantities of red wine down my neck, 😁 I can't remember the last time I lost control 🙄 but more care will be taken next time. :wine::wine::wine::wine::wine::wine::wine:
🤔 Bob.
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Oct 11, 2019
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Murder at tesco's.

Tired of constantly being broke & stuck in an unhappy marriage, a young husband decided to solve both problems by taking out a large insurance policy on his wife with himself as the beneficiary, and then arranging to have her killed.
A 'friend of a friend' put him in touch with a nefarious, dark-side, underworld figure who went by the name of 'Artie.' Artie then explained to the husband that his going price for snuffing out a spouse was £5,000.
The husband said he was willing to pay that amount, but that he wouldn't have any cash on hand until he could collect his wife's insurance money.
Artie insisted on being paid at least something up front, so the man opened his wallet, displaying the single pound coin that rested inside. Artie sighed, rolled his eyes, & reluctantly agreed to accept the pound as down payment for the dirty deed.
A few days later, Artie followed the man's wife to the local Tesco where he surprised her in the fruit & vegetable department. There he proceeded to strangle her with his gloved hands, but as the poor unsuspecting woman drew her last breath and slumped to the floor the manager of the fruit & vegetable department stumbled unexpectedly onto the murder scene. Unwilling to leave any living witnesses behind, Artie had no choice but to strangle the manager as well.
However, unknown to Artie, the entire proceedings were captured by hidden security cameras and observed by the store's security guard, who immediately called the police.
Artie was caught and arrested before he could even leave the store. Under intense questioning at the police station, Artie revealed the whole sordid plan, including his unusual financial arrangements with the hapless husband who was also quickly arrested.
The next day in the newspaper,the headline declared............























'ARTIE CHOKES TWO FOR A POUND AT TESCO!'

I remember that joke and had googled it to copy here! :giggler:
 
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Many years ago I shared a room with a male flat mate. We needed a code word to “say” we hoped to be lucky with the girl we’d brought back for coffee and would the unfortunate one please seek an alternative bed for the night.
We chose artichoke- obvious when spotted but took some effort to work into the conversation.It probably worked out 50/50 over the time there.


Ps we were 4 houses down from Dennis Nilsen when he was active in Melrose avenue - I distinctly remember the smell of burning tyre. Fortunately we frequented different pubs.

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