How do you cook/eat an artichoke?
 

I've never cooked them, OR eaten them..

How the heck do you cook these things and manage to eat them? I'm a bit intimidated :dizzy:

Cooking them and eating them...Yummy!
 

I love artichokes! I usually simply boil them, but you can also do them in the micro. Check for doneness by poking the bottom of the thing with a fork, when they are done, the fork will go in very easily.

To prepare for cooking, cut the stem off as close to the bottom of the bloom as possible, and also, be careful handling them as the ends of the bloom, have spines.

To eat, pull off one leaf at a time, and scrape the fat meaty part of the leaf with your teeth. It takes a bit to get the hang of but they are wonderful. I dip mine in a mix of lite mayo with a bit of dill added, but your tastes may vary.

Hope this helps. :)

Or you can buy them frozen, cut into smaller portions...bake them with olive oil, garlic & parmesian cheese....yummy...or you can add them to casseroles, soups, or anything else you need extra veggies in.

I trim off the prickly ends of the leaves with scissors before cooking them. I grew them once as an experiment and we ate the tiny ones baked with olive oil, garlic and parmesan. Yummy and very high fiber as we were able to eat the whole leaves!

Ruth- How do they grow? What climate, how long...all that stuff?

When I boil them, do I totally submerse it under water? And, how do you think they'd come out if I steamed them? Thanks for all the input, I've been dying to try these... my next adventure is Fennel (sp?) I've heard that mentioned alot but before SB didn't know what it was..

Also, with the small one you can eat the whole leaf but not with the larger ones? And (sorry I'm so new with these veggies) when it calls for artichoke hearts in a recipe, what part of it is the "heart"?

THANKYOU!

yes, you completely submerse it in the pot...it will float a bit, so just keep turning it. I think they may still be tough if you steam it..but it is worth a try.
The heart is the base of the veggie...it is the most tender & most flavorful part...Man, now I want some artichokes!!!

Well, it was really pushing it to try to grow them (Cynara scolymus or Globe Artichoke) here in USZ4 (Canada Z5). They are actually a perennial and grow best in CA. I started the seeds indoors in March and set them out mid-may. We had artichokes by August and lovely thistle-like flowers in the fall!
Here's a site with info and some recipes. I grew them just for fun. I have a picture somewhere - it was before digital!

I always steam mine. Trim them and turn them upside down in the steamer. I usually steam them for 30-45 minutes depending on size (I'm practically at sea level - you'll have to adjust if you are high up - I don't know how, but you can check with your local extension if you're uncertain how to adjust). You'll need plenty of water to provide enough steam for that long. I boiled a few pans dry the first few times!

My mother cooks them in a pressure cooker, so there's another option.

I buy mine in a jar. They come marinated in oil and spices and I just eat them straight from the jar or add them to salads and sometimes I like to heat them up in the microwave. I got 2 32 oz. jars from Sam's Club for $7.