Artichoke
Cynara scolymus
S
ince my first-year garden was both small souls who are just moving beyond lettuce and
and (in my case) totally experimental, I re parsley, like me!
ally didn’t have the space or inclination to grow I’ve had two over-the-top opportunities to
artichokes, a fairly massive plant that winds up savor artichokes: One was the fairly typical
with so little to eat! pluck-’n’-dunk the cooked leaves from the
Artichokes come from southern Europe, globe into a rich hollandaise (butter, lemon,
and there is some genetic evidence that they and egg yolk) sauce. The other involved remov
came out of the wild cardoon, a naturally oc ing the choke/heart and filling the space with
curring thistle-like plant popular in ancient pâté de foie gras (goose liver paste). Both these
Greek and Roman cuisine. very gourmet delicacies came complete with
It’s really quite regional as far as quality is concentrated saturated fat and high calories,
concerned because the artichoke thrives in and accompaniments that, in my judgment,
coolish, moist summers with mild winters. It obscured the flavors of the plant itself. My pur
also demands a degree of patience, as most pose in the recipes that follow is to do every
plants don’t bloom and fruit until the second thing possible to enhance the natural fl avors of
year. Although it’s a perennial that can last for the individual plant while retaining its maxi
up to 15 years (with good winter mulching ), it mum nourishment.
may bear its fruit for only 4 or 5 of those years.
For my money, this is really a commercial
grower’s crop, given its space and complexity. The Numbers
On the other hand, it’s one of those sunny cor- Per 100 g boiled (3.5 oz ; 1 large head ): 53 calories, 0 g
ner plants for which a dozen or so can produce fat, 0 g saturated fat, 12 g carbohydrate, 3 g protein,
a sudden rush of admiration from those timid 9 g dietary fiber, 60 mg sodium
66 • GROWING AT THE SPEED OF LIFE
