I think artichokes are the most underrated vegetable that exists. It was never a staple in my home, or any of my friends' homes growing up. Most people that I know eat it in dip. I bit the bullet and bought 2 back in May. I didn't know what I was going to do with them, but I knew I was going to do something!
I thought artichokes were a summer vegetable for a while, but according to Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture, they are actually harvested from March through June and September through December. Artichokes are rich in fiber and anti-oxidants, and low in calories. According to Nutrition and You, 100g of artichokes contains only 47 calories, while offering around five and a half grams of fiber (adult women should be consuming about 30 grams of fiber a day). Artichokes are also a great source of folic acid, which is especially important for women trying to conceive and those that are already pregnant to reduce the risk of spina bifida in the developing fetus. The same 100g of artichoke will give you 20% of your necessary Vitamin C for the day. We all know that Vitamin C helps bolster your immune system to fight colds and flus, and with the season among us, what better excuse to eat artichokes? Finally, artichokes are a great source of Vitamin K, which works in conjunction with calcium to keep your bones healthy and strong.
If you're like me, and artichokes are a mystery, pick on up on your next trip to the grocery store. They are readily available right now, and since they are in season, the price shouldn't be too high. To pick a fresh artichoke, give the leaves (which aren't actually leaves) a squeeze. If your artichoke is fresh, it will actually give a little squeak. You want to pick an artichoke that is heavy for it's size, deep green in color, and where the leaves are still closed.
When you are ready to cook and eat your artichoke, there are a few preparation steps you'll want to take. First,obviously, wash your artichoke to remove dirt and germs that cultivated during harvesting. Remove the tough outer leaves close to the stem, and trim the stem. The stem is actually edible, so don't cut all of it off! Next, cut off the top inch or two to remove the thorny bits. From here, you can cook your artichoke in a variety of ways. My favorite way is roasting it with garlic in the oven. I shove several (seriously probably way too many) garlic bulbs in between the leaves, drizzle a bit of extra virgin olive oil on top, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and wrap that puppy up in aluminum foil and roast it for about an hour. Pinterest, of course, always has a variety of recipes to choose from. One thing I would refrain from is dipping your artichoke in mayonnaise, which is a very popular way of eating it. Dipping perfectly delicious vegetables in pure fat never has quite set well with me, though.
Lastly, there really is no classy way to eat an artichoke. Generally speaking, when your artichoke is cooked to your liking, you are going to pull off a leaf, stick it between your teeth, and scrape out the delicious meat. Lovely, I know. Delicious doesn't judge.
This is my first installment of Seasonal Spotlight!! This was actually really fun. I know that I enjoy discovering new ways to eat some vegetables, and those in season will always be the best! Are you going to try artichoke? Let me know what you think in the comments below!
xoxo,
Rachel
