Artichokes are an incredible crop. Every spring, we see the first signs of their thorny leaves sprouting up out of the ground. Slowly, the leaves turn into a low shrub, overtaking the spot where they are growing. A month later, the first artichoke pops up; as the stem grows, more and more artichokes jut off it. If artichokes aren't your kind of food and you leave them on the plant, by the end of spring, they turn into a beautiful flower with furry purple thistles. The whole plant then starts drying up and slowly dies away down to ground level. You won't see any sign of the artichoke plant for the rest of the year, until the whole cycle starts up again next spring, without the touch of a human hand; nature takes care of this plant with her own cycle of weather patterns.
We have two rows of artichoke plants which fence the garden like a kind of hedgerow. They produce about 100 heads per season. In Greek cuisine, fresh tender artichokes are eaten raw in a salad, or stewed in red or white sauce. They can also be baked with meat in the oven as a substitute for potatoes. We recently gave our Sicilian neighbour some of our excess crop, and it was her use of them that gave me my idea for these Italian-style stuffed baked artichokes.
1. Snip off half of each leaf on each artichoke, and cut off the stem, but leave the thick outer leaves on the artichoke, so that they form a cavity above the heart.
2. Boil the artichokes in some water for a few minutes, then drain them and scoop out the furry choke and pull out the purple tinged leaves in the centre.
3. Fill each artichoke with approximately 2 tablespoons of mince mixture (like the one for makaronada).
4. Make a bread and herb topping with some grated cheese, and sprinkle over the mince. It doesn't matter if it falls in between the remaining leaves of the artichoke.
2. Boil the artichokes in some water for a few minutes, then drain them and scoop out the furry choke and pull out the purple tinged leaves in the centre.
3. Fill each artichoke with approximately 2 tablespoons of mince mixture (like the one for makaronada).
4. Make a bread and herb topping with some grated cheese, and sprinkle over the mince. It doesn't matter if it falls in between the remaining leaves of the artichoke.
6. Cook on high heat for an hour. To test the artichoke heart for 'doneness', insert a knife through it. It should pierce the heart easily.
When they are ready to serve, peel off each leaf and eat the bit of heart that remains on them as they are pulled away, finally working towards the tender heart, which may be spooned off with the filling from the tough base. The actual leaf will still be too tough to eat; only a small bit is edible at the base.
This dish makes a great appetizer at a dinner party, something I haven't held myself or been to in a while; this must have something to do with all the good dining-out opportunities we get in Hania...
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I've seen a lot of recipes for stuffed artichokes (namely Italian ones) and they look very interesting. I like the meat sauce you have used here Maria.
ReplyDeleteI love artichokes!
ReplyDeleteI also love what these have been stuffed with, sounds so delicious.
Yum!
Now I should think about planting some for myself for next spring...
I absolutely love artichokes! My mother always just steamed them. We then "ceremoniously" ate the leaves dipped in a simple mixture of melted butter and lemon.
ReplyDeleteIf you have a pressure cooker, it only takes about 15 minutes to steam them.
I haven't eaten stuffed artichokes before, but these look so delicious! The plants are even beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThis looks absolutely stunning! I like the fact that you have used the whole of the artichoke. Biting the tender bit of the leaf is so yummy!
ReplyDeleteThe artichokes look just amazing as giant purple thistles. I've never seen them opened up before. It sounds like they're very productive plants too!
ReplyDeleteI like artichokes with lemon and salt!!
ReplyDeleteI remember seeing artichokes in Greece. I have never seen them growing in a garden here in Canada bu they were easily recognizable.
ReplyDeletebeautiful flowers - the artichokes! Alexandra
ReplyDeleteSounds delicious and the plants themselves look so beautiful. I've just started experimenting in my garden and I'm looking forward to reaping the benefits ... let's see just how successful I will be.
ReplyDeleteThose artichokes are glorious. I tried to grow them with little luck. I keep depending on luck. I shpould water more often. Yum
ReplyDeleteI love eating artichokes but after seeing the photo of them flowering, I almost prefer to leave them alone. With that said, I would certainly not turn down this very appetizing dish!
ReplyDeleteI always hate dealing with artichokes yet I crave them constantly.
ReplyDeleteI am going to have to debate planting them now because that flower looks awesome!
I like artichokes, however I have not managed to cook them properly. They are expensive; the last time I bought them (a couple months ago), they were 3.99 USD each! And when I do not cook them properly, I feel like it's a waste of money. I am not sure how much of the leaves to take off even though I've read and watched how it's supposed to be done! I haven't worked with artichokes too much. You're lucky to have them in your garden.
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