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Artichoke - The Super Food
By Staff Writer
An artichoke is a big thistle plant that is native to the Mediterranean. A "globe" artichoke is the traditional plant that most people think of when purchasing, preparing, and serving artichokes. The Jerusalem artichoke, also known as "sun chokes," is a tuber eaten raw or cooked. Eaten raw, it is crispy and similar in texture to a water chestnut. Baby artichokes are fully mature artichokes that grow closer to the ground, sheltered by the larger leaves on the plant. They are easy to cook and prepare because the inner fuzzy portion of the choke does not develop.
Artichoke is the common name for a plant of the composite flower family. The artichoke grows wild in the south of Europe and is cultivated in the United States, primarily in California. The leaves proceed from the base of the stem and are long and somewhat spiny. The stem is up to 1 m (3 ft) high, branched, with large heads of violet-colored (sometimes white), thistle-like flowers at the summits of the branches. The thickened receptacle (heart) and fleshy bases of the scales (leaves) of the immature flower are the portions eaten.
The artichoke belongs to the family Asteraceae (formerly Compositae). It is classified as Cynara scolymus and was first developed in Sicily, Italy.
There is mention of the plant in Greek and Roman literature as far back as 77AD. Artichokes were cultivated by the North African Moors near Granada Spain about 800AD. The choke made it to England in about 1548 but was not well received. The Spanish settlers brought artichokes to California in the 1600's. They did not become widely grown or used in California until the 1920's. "In 1922 Andrew Molera, a landowner in the Salinas Valley of Monterey County, California, just south of San Francisco, decided to lease land previously dedicated to the growing of sugar beets to farmers willing to try the "new" vegetable. His reasons were economic, because already artichokes were fetching high prices and farmers could pay Molera triple what the sugar company did for the same land. By 1929 artichokes were the third largest cash crop in the Valley.
Castroville California and the artichoke really made it on the map when Marilyn Monroe was crowned Artichoke Queen in 1948. Eighty percent of all artichokes grown commercially are from Castroville. Castroville is located approximately 98 miles south of San Francisco, and 16 miles north of Monterey.
When selecting artichokes, one should choose globes that are dark green, heavy, and have "tight" leaves. Don't select globes that are dry looking or appear to be turning brown. If the leaves appear too "open" then the choke is past its prime. The plant is still edible, but the leaves may be tough. Don't throw these away for they can be used to make artichoke soup. Artichokes are available throughout the year with peak season being from March to May with a smaller crop produced in October.
Artichoke eating is a hands-on affair. Most of the edible portion is on the inside bottom 1/3 of the choke leaf. When serving artichokes it's nice to put a bowl on the table for the discarded leaves unless the serving plate is large enough to stack the leaves on the side. Artichokes are commonly served with a dip such as lemon-butter, or mayonnaise.
The artichoke heart is located at the center of the plant. Once all the leaves are eaten, the heart or flower of the choke is visible. By the way, the leaves closest to the heart of the choke are very tender and depending on the size and age of the choke many frequently eat the whole cluster of leaves. Once a bed of fuzzy or hair-like strands are visible, that is the heart. Scoop out the fuzz with a spoon and discard. The rest of the base of the choke is edible, referred to as the heart. This is the favorite part of the artichoke for many people.