Calico Globe Artichoke
Globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus) ā a large, round-headed Spanish variety. The globe artichoke is the unopened flower bud of a cultivated thistle, and almost everything about it is designed to discourage you from eating it: the tough outer leaves, the spiny tips, the fibrous choke buried in the centre. Get past all of that and the reward is the heart ā the dense, meaty base that sits beneath the choke, with a flavour that is nutty, faintly sweet and entirely unlike any other vegetable.
These are substantial artichokes, large enough to serve as a starter on their own or shared with dips. The outer leaves are inedible as whole pieces, but the fleshy base of each leaf is worth eating ā pull it through your teeth with a dip of melted butter, vinaigrette or mayonnaise, working inwards until you reach the paler, more tender inner leaves. Remove the hairy choke with a spoon and you are left with the heart. Globe artichokes look intimidating to prepare, but the process is straightforward once you have done it once, and the recipe page linked below walks through every step.
Origin: Spain
Ingredients: Globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus)
Storage: Refrigerate immediately. Store unwashed in a sealed bag or wrapped in damp kitchen paper. Use within three to four days.
Globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus) ā a large, round-headed Spanish variety. The globe artichoke is the unopened flower bud of a cultivated thistle, and almost everything about it is designed to discourage you from eating it: the tough outer leaves, the spiny tips, the fibrous choke buried in the centre. Get past all of that and the reward is the heart ā the dense, meaty base that sits beneath the choke, with a flavour that is nutty, faintly sweet and entirely unlike any other vegetable.
These are substantial artichokes, large enough to serve as a starter on their own or shared with dips. The outer leaves are inedible as whole pieces, but the fleshy base of each leaf is worth eating ā pull it through your teeth with a dip of melted butter, vinaigrette or mayonnaise, working inwards until you reach the paler, more tender inner leaves. Remove the hairy choke with a spoon and you are left with the heart. Globe artichokes look intimidating to prepare, but the process is straightforward once you have done it once, and the recipe page linked below walks through every step.
Origin: Spain
Ingredients: Globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus)
Storage: Refrigerate immediately. Store unwashed in a sealed bag or wrapped in damp kitchen paper. Use within three to four days.
Description
Globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus) ā a large, round-headed Spanish variety. The globe artichoke is the unopened flower bud of a cultivated thistle, and almost everything about it is designed to discourage you from eating it: the tough outer leaves, the spiny tips, the fibrous choke buried in the centre. Get past all of that and the reward is the heart ā the dense, meaty base that sits beneath the choke, with a flavour that is nutty, faintly sweet and entirely unlike any other vegetable.
These are substantial artichokes, large enough to serve as a starter on their own or shared with dips. The outer leaves are inedible as whole pieces, but the fleshy base of each leaf is worth eating ā pull it through your teeth with a dip of melted butter, vinaigrette or mayonnaise, working inwards until you reach the paler, more tender inner leaves. Remove the hairy choke with a spoon and you are left with the heart. Globe artichokes look intimidating to prepare, but the process is straightforward once you have done it once, and the recipe page linked below walks through every step.
Origin: Spain
Ingredients: Globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus)
Storage: Refrigerate immediately. Store unwashed in a sealed bag or wrapped in damp kitchen paper. Use within three to four days.
