Seasonal Food Spotlight: Artichokes

Artichokes. They’re one of those obscure vegetables you probably pass up in the produce aisle week after week without a second thought. I certainly used to. Sure, they’re beautiful. But they’re also really unapproachable. Before I cooked with fresh artichokes for the first time I had no idea how I’d go about making such a strange looking plant suddenly edible.

The good news is that, despite their hard petals, prickly thorns and bitter raw fluids, artichokes are definitely edible and totally worth the trouble it takes to trim them. If you’re willing to put in a little bit of elbow grease, you’re rewarded with a delicious vegetable loaded with a lot of surprising health benefits.

For starters, artichokes are a terrific source of antioxidants. In fact, a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that a serving of artichokes actually packs more antioxidants than other foods traditionally considered to be antioxidant-rich, like blueberries, chocolate and red wine. Artichokes have also been shown to support digestive health, reduce “bad” LDL cholesterol, promote liver health, prevent and combat high blood pressure and increase your metabolism.

Phew! Now that you know about all of the terrific health benefits of artichokes, we invite you to check out our favorite recipes below.

Balsamic Grilled Baby Artichokes

Author: My California Roots

Ingredients

• 8 baby artichokes
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp. dijon mustard
• ⅛ tsp. salt
• Freshly cooked brown rice
• Fresh thyme

Click here to get the full recipe and instructions from My California Roots.

Pan-Fried Baby Artichokes with Gremolata

Author: Vegan American Princess

Ingredients

• 12 baby artichokes (about 1 ½ pounds)
• 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• Pinch cayenne
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil or vegetable oil, for frying
• ½ cup chopped parsley
• 1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. finely chopped or grated lemon zest
• 1 tsp. finely chopped or grated orange zest
• 1 Tbsp. roughly chopped capers
• Lemon wedges

Click here to get the full recipe from Vegan American Princess.

What’s your favorite way to eat artichokes?