Welcome to our new series where we’ll let you know what fruit and vegetables are market fresh this week, give you handy storage tips and recipes to make the most of seasonal produce.
The globe artichoke is seasonally available in Australia from late Autumn until late Spring with production peaking from August-October with the most two popular cultivars being the green globe and purple globe.
This vegetable is a flower with several layers – green outer petals, purple inner petals, a hairy inedible ‘choke’ and a tender heart. The edible parts are the heart, stem centre and based of the petals, the heart is also available canned in brine or marinated in oil.
When buying artichokes, look for small to medium-sized bright, heavy artichokes with tightly closed leaves and a fresh-looking stem; they can be refrigerated in a plastic bag for up to one week. You want verdant green and purple outer leaves, if they are brown it means the artichoke has been cut for a while.
Fun fact: artichokes are actually unopened flowers!
If you have never prepared an artichoke before here are some tips:
•Chop off the top half of the artichoke.
•Peel away the outer leaves which are bitter and tough. You should have about half the leaves still on your artichoke and they should be mostly green.
•Use a spoon to remove the tough inner leaves and the hairy ‘choke’ from the centre – it’s inedible and can ‘choke’ you.
•Below the choke is the tender heart, which you can remove and enjoy, or leave in the artichoke.
•You can eat the stem, which has a sweet flavour, but it is best to peel the outer layer and trim a few centimetres from the base of the artichoke.
•Have a bowl of water with lemon juice on hand, once cut, artichokes go brown very quickly. Immersing them in a bowl of acidic water slows down the process and keeps them looking fresh and green.
You don’t need to do a lot to your artichokes to bring out their sweet and earthy flavours. Here are three ways to incorporate this delicious vegetable into family dinners:
Poached hapuka, artichokes and garlic mayonnaise – this is renowned Australian Chef Josh Niland’s take on a dish he had as an apprentice.
Jersualem artichoke and chocolate – this dessert transforms the ordinary to extraordinary, proving that when exceptional chocolate and vibrant vegetables unite, magic happens on the palate.
Gnocchi al Forno with Jerusalem artichoke, taleggio and truffle – this dish is inspired by Northern Italy. The combination of artichokes, truffle and taleggio cheese is a match made in heaven with the fluffy pillows of potato gnocchi.
