Comments on: How Artichokes Nicely Trimmed My Ego http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/2009/04/how-artichokes-nicely-trimmed-my-ego/ The Official Whole Foods Market Blog Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:14:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Page http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/2009/04/how-artichokes-nicely-trimmed-my-ego/#comment-42376 Page Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:57:18 +0000 http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/?p=1389#comment-42376 I loved your article. I really love artichokes!! I have found a faster way to cook them than steaming them. I cut off the stem (save, peel & cut in rounds), wash by running under H2O then turn upside down to drain. Then I put it in a cereal bowl & add about 1-1 1/2" of H2O. Cover with plastic wrap & put in the microwave. The larger the artichoke, the more time. I can cook a real jumbo one & it takes maybe 8-9 minutes. You can test for doneness by unwrapping (careful-steam!) & pulling out 1 of the leaves. If it pulls out easily, it's done; if not, put back in for 1-2 minutes more. Carefully remove from the bowl & set on paper towel. Cook the stem in the H2O until tender. Yumm!!! I loved your article. I really love artichokes!! I have found a faster way to cook them than steaming them. I cut off the stem (save, peel & cut in rounds), wash by running under H2O then turn upside down to drain. Then I put it in a cereal bowl & add about 1-1 1/2″ of H2O. Cover with plastic wrap & put in the microwave. The larger the artichoke, the more time. I can cook a real jumbo one & it takes maybe 8-9 minutes. You can test for doneness by unwrapping (careful-steam!) & pulling out 1 of the leaves. If it pulls out easily, it’s done; if not, put back in for 1-2 minutes more. Carefully remove from the bowl & set on paper towel. Cook the stem in the H2O until tender. Yumm!!!

]]> By: James Parker http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/2009/04/how-artichokes-nicely-trimmed-my-ego/#comment-13968 James Parker Fri, 17 Apr 2009 19:47:06 +0000 http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/?p=1389#comment-13968 Hi Susan A- That is actually a very good questions because the answer varies depending on who you you ask. The “Heart” of the artichoke in the mind of a produce nerd is the inside bowl-shaped center of the plant that is directly below the fuzzy “choke” and terminates at the base of the plant where it connects to the stem. For the soup I use the stem (I remove the outside layer) and the bottom half of the interior leaves as well (all of the one’s that are a light shade of green) as they further softened when you cook them down in the broth. Hope this helps and you like the soup- it has this “essence” of artichoke that comes with a texture change that is remarkable if you really like the flavor of artichokes. I was going to add a few paragraphs about Italian artichokes but I felt like the post was running a little long- there are some beautiful red specimens that are grown in the US now that originate from Italy - I can imagine them in the field (it must be beautiful). Thanks for sharing, JP Hi Susan A-

That is actually a very good questions because the answer varies depending on who you you ask. The “Heart” of the artichoke in the mind of a produce nerd is the inside bowl-shaped center of the plant that is directly below the fuzzy “choke” and terminates at the base of the plant where it connects to the stem. For the soup I use the stem (I remove the outside layer) and the bottom half of the interior leaves as well (all of the one’s that are a light shade of green) as they further softened when you cook them down in the broth. Hope this helps and you like the soup- it has this “essence” of artichoke that comes with a texture change that is remarkable if you really like the flavor of artichokes. I was going to add a few paragraphs about Italian artichokes but I felt like the post was running a little long- there are some beautiful red specimens that are grown in the US now that originate from Italy – I can imagine them in the field (it must be beautiful). Thanks for sharing,

JP

]]> By: Lauren http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/2009/04/how-artichokes-nicely-trimmed-my-ego/#comment-13953 Lauren Fri, 17 Apr 2009 00:56:55 +0000 http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/?p=1389#comment-13953 Mmmm...to find the heart: -grab that nice hunk of "wimpy leave at the middle of the choke and pull it up (you can then bite the bottom of the bunch off and enjoy this nice pre-cursor to the delicatable heart) -use a spoon to gently scrape the spiney lookin' hairs off and discard them (do not be tempted to eat these...OUCH) -the slightly bumpy smooth slightly concave disk you are now holding in your hand is the "heart"...ENJOY! (See a photo of this part, in its more recognizable raw form on this blog: http://www.cookthink.com/blog/?p=426 and a cool tutorial on the art of eating artichokes here: http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/000262how_to_cook_and_eat_an_artichoke.php On a sidenote, I assume that the "artichoke hearts" that we buy in cans are from very young artichokes because if the artichokes were fully mature, those spiny parts that I mentioned scraping off would be more developed and, I fear, painfully noticable! Mmmm…to find the heart:
-grab that nice hunk of “wimpy leave at the middle of the choke and pull it up (you can then bite the bottom of the bunch off and enjoy this nice pre-cursor to the delicatable heart)
-use a spoon to gently scrape the spiney lookin’ hairs off and discard them (do not be tempted to eat these…OUCH)
-the slightly bumpy smooth slightly concave disk you are now holding in your hand is the “heart”…ENJOY!
(See a photo of this part, in its more recognizable raw form on this blog: http://www.cookthink.com/blog/?p=426
and a cool tutorial on the art of eating artichokes here:
http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/000262how_to_cook_and_eat_an_artichoke.php

On a sidenote, I assume that the “artichoke hearts” that we buy in cans are from very young artichokes because if the artichokes were fully mature, those spiny parts that I mentioned scraping off would be more developed and, I fear, painfully noticable!

]]> By: Susan A. http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/2009/04/how-artichokes-nicely-trimmed-my-ego/#comment-13918 Susan A. Wed, 15 Apr 2009 16:31:25 +0000 http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/?p=1389#comment-13918 Hi, I LOVED your article about artichokes and have to say, although I have eaten and enjoyed them all of my life, I never TRULY appreciated them until I saw them growing in a field in Italy. That was one of those ahaa moments of life when you realize that food doesn't grow in your local market. My big question is this (and I am embarrassed to ask it) what part exactly IS the heart. I have eaten the hearts out of a jar, but when you are opening the artichoke and eating the leaves, discarding the choke and savoring the stem, where is the heart? Is it just the wimpy leaves with not enough "meat" to bother with? I would love to make the soup you suggested but didn't want to put in the wrong parts! Thanks! Hi,
I LOVED your article about artichokes and have to say, although I have eaten and enjoyed them all of my life, I never TRULY appreciated them until I saw them growing in a field in Italy. That was one of those ahaa moments of life when you realize that food doesn’t grow in your local market. My big question is this (and I am embarrassed to ask it) what part exactly IS the heart. I have eaten the hearts out of a jar, but when you are opening the artichoke and eating the leaves, discarding the choke and savoring the stem, where is the heart? Is it just the wimpy leaves with not enough “meat” to bother with? I would love to make the soup you suggested but didn’t want to put in the wrong parts!
Thanks!

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