Globe Artichokes
- Cynara cardunculus – scolymus
The perennial globe artichokes are a member of the thistle
family and a close relation to that wonderfully architechural plant - cardoon.
The edible parts are actually the flower buds which, if left will develop into
huge thistle like flowers. It is important to pick them and eat them well
before they reach that stage.
Sowing
and Growing
Globe artichokes are fairly easy to grow from seed in early
spring and the young plants will give an artichoke or two in the first year
though you are strongly advised to remove any developing ‘flowers’ as soon as
they appear as tiny buds, to allow the plant to develop.
Similarly, if you buy young plants [in April], they are likely
to give you a globe or two – with the same advice. Although, being an impatient
sort of person I have harvested my first globe artichokes without any apparent
damage to the development of the plant.
If sowing from seed, follow the instructions given by the seed
company. I have read that it is a waste of time trying to grow this wonderful
plant in heavy clay soil but, all of my growing area is heavy clay soil and I
have grown globe artichokes productively for years. However, they do prefer a
light well-drained soil in a sunny spot. It is best to consider the area
more-or-less permanent as the plants can stay productive for some years. Although
they are classed as perennial plants, it is a good idea to replace the plants
every 3 - 4 years, or so, as the roots start to fragment and become less
productive.
Once you have an established bed, it is easy to continue to
take side shoots from your plants [you will see that, as the plants are 2 – 3
years old, the root appears to have several side shoots. During March or April,
using a sharp spade, the side shoots can be cut away from the parent plant,
taking a good portion of root along with it and re-established in a new bed].
Although the plants are large and bushy, swamping most weeds
in their vicinity, it is important to keep their bed as weed free as possible
and remove last season’s dead leaves in the spring when new growth emerges to
help reduce the slug and snail population.
Provide a good dressing of well rotted manure, compost or
straw to protect the roots in the winter. The top leaves should be cut back to
avoid frost damage during harsh winters although, in mild winters the plants
will survive happily with little protection.
In spring give the plants a good top dressing of well-rotted
manure or you chosen fertiliser to feed the crop for the new season. Water well
during dry spells.
Types and
Varieties
Do have a look for new varieties which may be available each
year from the seed houses – new varieties are often more frost tolerant and
disease tolerant but, for a good range of products try Thompson and Morgan – www.thompson-morgan.com,
Marshalls – www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk, Suttons
seeds – www.suttons.co.uk
The most common varieties available now are Green Globe – an
old favourite
Purple or Violet Globe
Emerald
Harvesting
and Storing
The globe artichoke season is from late June until early
October – depending on your site
After the first year, each plant should be putting up several
‘flower heads’ and these then put out side shoots. As the season progresses the
globes tend to become more plentiful though smaller. Harvest them regularly to
encourage the development of new growth. Although I have lost a few plants
during particularly bitter winter weather in the last few years, I still have 6
or 7 plants which give me more artichokes than I can eat or give away.
Although they can be unwieldy to prepare and to eat, I feel
they are well worth the effort. They have a flavour like no other, which is not
to everyone’s taste but, they are still considered a luxury vegetable and are
expensive to buy.
They make a wonderful dinner party starter as they take time
to eat allowing guests time to enjoy the wine, the company and the chat without
spoiling their appetites for the main course. So what, if they are a little
awkward and messy to eat! To me, they are utterly delicious.
Globe artichokes will store in the fridge, in a polythene bag
for a week or more, if necessary but, they are best eaten the day they are
picked.
The artichoke hearts can be blanched and frozen but, I prefer
to eat and enjoy them as a seasonal crop.
Nutritional
Value
|
Excellent
source of
|
Useful
amounts
|
Traces
|
|
|
Fibre
Folate
|
Vitamins – B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, C and K
Minerals – calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese,
Phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc
|
|
Excellent antioxidant,
good for digestion,
helps to reduce cholesterol
|
||
Pests and
Diseases
Slugs and Snails – Although not a serious pest,
slugs and snails will eat the tops of the new leaves as they appear.
Aphids – aphids can be a serious pest as they will
attack the new leaves and the young flower heads establishing themselves within
the bracts of the globes and making them almost impossible to remove while
trying to prepare for eating. A regular spraying with SB Plant Invigorator will
encourage good growth in the plants and reduce the aphids [ organic] – or use
your choice of aphid killer.
Cold - very
harsh winters with deep frosts which penetrate the soil, especially on heavy
clay soils which retain moisture, are likely to kill the plants. Some of my
allotment neighbours have reported a 100% loss in recent harsh winters. While
my own losses have not been so disastrous, it has still made a huge impression
on my artichoke bed. Good protection is necessary – a heavy mulch of compost
and/or well rotted manure around the roots. Cut the top growth off as winter
approaches and cover the plants with a layer of straw or cover the bed with a
sheet of environmesh – taking care to keep the mesh above the plants so that
the frost can’t come into contact with them. I have tried fleece but found that
it drops onto the plants and creates a worse situation.
Preparation and Cooking
They are a great starter for dinner parties as eating them
takes almost as long as preparing them and gives guests time to chat and enjoy
a glass of wine or two without spoiling their appetites for a more hearty main
course.
To
prepare
Cut off the stem and the
base head, also removing the smaller outer bracts [scales] of the artichoke, as
close as possible to the main head – be careful not to remove too much of the
heart which is the best part. Cut off the outer bracts until it is apparent
that there is a useable swelling at the bottom of each – the base of these
bracts are edible. Using a pair of kitchen scissors cut off the top of the head
so that you can gain access to the centre or ‘choke’. I also like to cut the
sharp tops off each of the bracts as they can be quite thorny.
To cook
Bring a large saucepan of
salted water to the boil and place the artichokes in the water. Simmer gently
for 25– 30 minutes [depending on the size of the heads]. Remove from the water
and drain well. Serve with Hollandaise sauce [see below] or with butter, lemon and black pepper.
An
Alternative Method
I have also found this
method quite successful and much quicker to prepare: -
Cut off the stem, part of
the base and the outer bracts as before. Then, using a strong sharp knife, cut
away ⅔ to ¾ of the top leaving the choke and the centre
exposed. Cut the head in half down through the centre. This gives easy access
for removing the choke and the fibrous inner scales or bracts and they can be
easily removed with a sharp knife.
Place these artichoke
hearts in a large sheet of greaseproof paper or tinfoil. Sprinkle with sea salt
and cracked black pepper. Add some fresh lemon zest and a knob of butter or
two. Wrap the tinfoil or greaseproof paper to make an envelope. Bake in a
preheated moderate oven [180ºC] for approx. 45 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges
and warm crusty bread.
Hollandaise sauce
This sauce with the ‘difficult’ reputation is easy
really and is just wonderful with asparagus, globe artichokes, Eggs Benedict [why
pay top restaurant prices when you can make it so easily at home?] and with lots
of other vegetables to turn them from the mundane into the exquisite.
Some recipes you will find don’t set out to have a ‘cooked’
sauce, the heat of the melted butter providing the thickening agent. However, I
do prefer to have my sauce cooked over a Bain-Marie [a water bath – or saucepan
of simmering water]
I am giving my preferred recipe for the smallest practical
quantity – to double/treble/etc, for each egg yolk added, increase an
equivalent amount of the other ingredients:
1 egg yolk juice of half a lemon 4oz
[100gm butter]
¼ tsp whole
grain mustard salt and
freshly ground black pepper
Method
·
Cut
the butter into small pieces and melt it over a bain-marie [water bath – ie. in
a bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water].
·
Put
the egg yolk into a bowl [preferable glass or ceramic] with the mustard, salt
and pepper[not too much – check later for appropriate seasoning] and the lemon
juice.
·
Whisk
well with a medium or small balloon whisk until the ingredients are well mixed.
·
Place
the bowl into the ‘bain-marie’ – saucepan with gently simmering water and
whisking continuously, pour the warm, melted butter in a thin stream, slowly
into the egg mixture, until all of the butter has been added.
·
As
you add the butter, the sauce will thicken and while you are preparing other
ingredients for your chosen dish the sauce will thicken further
·
Taste
for seasoning. You may wish to add a little more lemon juice or salt and
pepper.
·
Keep the Hollandaise sauce warm over the
bain-marie until you are ready to use it but use within a couple of hours.
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