In season: artichokes

FOR SALE

Vegetables: arugula, Asian greens, beets, broccoli,carrots, celery, chard, collards, dandelions, endive, escarole, frisee, herbs, Jerusalem artichokes,kale, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, onions, peanuts, potatoes, radishes, rutabaga, spinach, spring onions, sweet potatoes, turnips, winter squash

From local reports

Some of the earliest vegetables of spring are the perennial ones such as artichokes and asparagus. That makes sense when you consider they’ve been waiting all winter to burst forth in full glory.

Jim Fraser, farm manager for Elm Street Gardens, is looking forward to the result of his second year of growing artichokes. He put in his first artichoke plants in September 2013 and picked his first harvest last spring. “We have them in a hoop house. We tried some outside, but they quickly died. The seed packet said they were hardy to 14 degrees, but the ones we had outside died the first time we got a serious frost.”

Now those hoop house-grown artichokes are ready for the farm’s second harvest. Fraser likens them to broccoli. For both broccoli and artichokes, what we eat is actually the plant’s flower bud.

“They grow kind of like broccoli, putting out one large central artichoke and then lots of side shoots. Over the course of the harvest, about six weeks or so, you will get one big artichoke and then maybe 10 smaller artichokes.”

The artichokes are cut from the plant with an inch or two of stem attached. With only a little bit of flesh at the base of each leaf, it’s really the heart and stem that are the most edible parts of the larger artichokes. Those small side shoot artichokes, sold as baby artichokes, are almost totally edible, and Fraser tries to cut his with 5 or 6 inches of stem to provide even more to eat.

When artichokes appear at local farmers markets, they sell out quickly. Fraser says people are surprised to see them. Since they survive best grown under cover in this area, it takes a real commitment to put in a crop that takes up space in a hoop house for a whole year while only yielding a harvest for about six weeks.

The artichoke is a member of the thistle family. If left to continue to ripen, the thread-like “choke” sprouts into a thistle-like flower in a gorgeous shade of purple.

When preparing artichokes, watch out for the little thorn at the end of each leaf. Use kitchen shears to make short work of removing them. Pull off the small lower leaves, then trim the cut end of the stem. Cut off the top third and make sure the thorns are removed from the remaining leaves. Now you’re ready to boil, steam or roast your artichoke. Baby artichokes are even easier to prepare; trim the tops and bottoms and the whole thing will be edible.

Some people are intimidated by the thought of eating a full-grown artichoke, but needn’t be. Peel each leaf off the cooked artichoke and dip it into a sauce or melted butter. Pull the petal through your teeth to remove the soft, pulpy portion and discard the rest. When you get down to the heart, spoon out the fuzzy choke and then cut the remaining heart into small pieces. Dip into sauce or butter and enjoy.

Stuffed Artichokes

This is a recipe for those who feel artichokes don’t deliver enough to eat. Putting a little bit of stuffing between each leaf takes a few minutes, but provides substance with each bite. If you’d like, add even more substance by adding a little browned Italian or country sausage to the stuffing mixture.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup finely minced onion

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs (about 5 slices)

1/2 cup roughly chopped Nicoise olives

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon orange or lemon zest

Pinch cayenne

Salt and pepper

12 baby or 6 medium artichokes

1 cup non-fat chicken stock

2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

In a large skillet, make stuffing: Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute until just translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in bread crumbs, olives, parsley and citrus zest. Remove from heat and season to taste. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish.

Trim artichokes by cutting off bottom of stem and slicing off top third. Use kitchen scissors to trim any leaf tips that remain. Open up artichoke so you have access to the center and using a teaspoon or melon baller, remove choke. Gently pull open artichoke leaves and stuff each one with a little of the bread crumb mixture. Pat artichoke back into shape and arrange stem side down in prepared baking dish. Continue with remaining artichokes. Pour stock around artichokes and cover. Bake 30 minutes. Then uncover, sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano and bake 10 minutes more or until tops are golden brown and artichoke hearts are tender when pierced with knife. Serve immediately. Serves: 6

Per serving: 190 calories (percent of calories from fat, 32), 9 grams protein, 27 grams carbohydrates, 8 grams fiber, 8 grams fat (1 gram saturated), 1 milligram cholesterol, 360 milligrams sodium.