Artichokes are the good for you food of the week. These odd-looking vegetables can be a bit intimidating, but they have numerous health benefits. The globe artichoke, native to Ethiopia, has quite a history. Its scarcity made it quite popular with the ancient Greeks and Romans. French and Spanish explorers brought it to the New World. Italy remains the largest producer of artichokes worldwide, but most domestic artichokes hail from the small community of Castroville, CA, just south of Silicon Valley.
The artichoke is full of nutrients, such as dietary fiber, vitamins A and C, potatssium, riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, chromium, folic acid, manganese, and magnesium. Artichokes are said to lower cholesterol, assist in digestion, and provide relief for irritable bowel syndrome. There is also some evidence that eating artichokes may help stabilize blood sugar, which is important to control diabetes. Naturally fat-free, a medium cooked artichoke has about 60 calories.
They are just beginning to show up in Treasure Valley stores and are still a bit pricey. WinCo has them for $2.98 each. But they are fairly large. So if you’re looking for a special accent to your meal, an artichoke might be a nice option. Look for deep green globes with tight leaves that feel heavy for their size. When you press the leaves against each other, they should squeak. (really) Avoid artichokes with brown tips or spots, or those with tough outer leaves. You can keep fresh artichokes, unwashed, in a plastic bag in your refrigerator’s crisper drawer for about a week.
Don't be afraid of artichokes. They can be steamed, roasted, or grilled and served whole. (See the video below for an easy roasted artichoke recipe.) A warm artichoke dip is a favorite around many tables, and can also be used as a spread. With a nod to their Mediterranean history, artichokes seem to go hand in hand with pasta and chicken dishes. Combined with pasta, capers, mushrooms, lemon and chicken, artichokes give a delicate flavor to a wonderful dish. There are numerous uses—check out this link from Allrecipes.com for a variety of artichoke recipes.
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Comments
LOVE artichokes! I love them steamed the most, but I'll have them about any way I can get them. Also, brings reminders of driving down to Santa Cruz "the back way", through Castroville. Thanks for highlighting this one, Donna.
buy them at grocery outlet for 50 cents, :)
my favorite is to steam them and serve them with a dip made of Mayo, a touch of dijon, splash of lemon juice, dill, pepper and splash of balsamic!!
My favorite is to boil them on Med heat with some chicken stock garlic onion celery n some bread crumbs on top n threw out the water d delish.
artis are delicious and easy pot of boiling water in 45 mins. done,, dip leaves in melted butter add some sea salt ...eat with upper teeth and lower lip about half way up...clean out center of the fine threads you see with a spoon leaving the heart. soak in melted butter cut in bite size pieces and you will taste something better than alaska king crab and lobster. beats everything from sex to music.................TRY BEFORE MAKING JUDGEMENT!
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