Seasonal Pantry: The frost-kissed Globe artichokes are back

A couple of weeks ago, an email from a friend arrived, alerting me to a Globe artichoke sighting at Trader Joe's on Santa Rosa Avenue.

“They are four for $2.49,” he wrote, “and are absolutely delicious.”

Last week, as I searched for a parking spot at Oliver's Market on Stony Point Road, I spotted a sign outside the locally-owned market's door: “Real Globe Artichokes!” the sign read.

Someone is listening and giving us reason to rejoice.

For several years, it has become increasingly difficult to find true Globe artichokes, the variety once ubiquitous in California and thus the country, as our state is the leading producer. One by one, my favorite markets quit stocking this variety and began offering only those round thornless ones that have a slight purple tinge to them.

These thornless artichokes don't cook evenly and can go from being unpleasant undercooked to mushy and overcooked in a matter of minutes. Sometimes they never become tender in the way a Globe does.

Now, Globes are back and this year's crop is delicious. You'll notice them by a tag Monterey area growers began attaching to their artichokes a number of years ago.

“Kissed by Frost” the tags say, explaining that the brown spots on the outer leaves are not a flaw but rather a sign that they have been through a freezer or two, which sweetens them and intensifies their flavors. Some people refer to these artichokes as ugly, but that's only because the American public has been taught to expect a sort of bland, superficial perfection from our produce. So, trust me on this; buy those so-called ugly artichokes and you will not be sorry.

The worst thing you can do with an artichoke, other than to buy the wrong variety, is to overcook. There is no hard and fast rule about time or even technique, though I prefer boiling to steaming and both to grilling.

A very fresh artichoke will cook far more quickly than one that has been in the cooler for a couple of weeks, so you must test your artichokes frequently, starting after just 20 minutes on the heat.

Many recipes say to cook them for 30 to 50 minutes, but you'll end up unhappy with the results if you rely on this. As described in Basic Artichokes (see recipe), you need to pull out a middle leaf after 20 minutes and then test every 5 minutes after that until the artichokes are done. This is something many restaurant chefs do not do; I've never had an artichoke in a restaurant that wasn't overcooked and so I stopped ordering them years ago.

Here's a big thank you to whomever had the wisdom to return Globe artichokes to the marketplace. Now, when can we talk about seeded vs. seedless watermelon?

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Use this recipe when you need artichoke hearts for another recipe, such as the Artichoke Risotto below. Use it for any number of artichokes; just be careful not to overcook them.

Basic Artichoke Hearts

Makes about 3/4 cup

4 large Globe artichokes

- About 2 teaspoons olive oil

2 tablespoons kosher salt

Place an artichoke on your work surface, holding it on its side. Using a sharp knife, cut off the top 1/2 inch of the artichokes. Trim the stem end so that it is nearly flush with the bottom.

Nestle the artichokes into a saucepan that can hold them snuggly, so that they do not move.

Drizzle a little olive oil into the center of each artichoke.

Put the salt into the saucepan and add water, pouring it initially over the salt, until it comes about halfway up the artichokes.

Set over high heat and when the water boils, reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer the artichokes for 20 minutes. Use tongs to test one of the leaves. To do so, grab a single leaf about halfway to the center of the artichoke and tug gently. If it doesn't give, cover, cook 15 minutes more and test again. If it gives a little, cook 5 minutes more and test again. Test every 5 minutes until a leaf comes out with just a bit of resistance.

Remove from the heat and transfer to a wide bowl, setting the artichokes upside down so they may drain as they cool.

When the artichokes have cooled, pull off the leaves and reserve them for another use.

Use a very sharp pairing knife or a grapefruit spoon to scrape out and discard the thistle from the center of the heart. Trim away any dark spots on the outside of the heart.

Leave the hearts whole or cut into 1/8-inch thick slices and use as directed in other recipes. Alternately, you can enjoy these artichokes neat, with salt and pepper, with mayonnaise or aioli, and with lemon vinaigrette.

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Tapenade is one of the classic salty condiments of southern Europe, made in one version or another virtually everywhere olives grow. It might be a smooth purée, it might be chunky, but it almost always includes brine-cured olives, garlic, and anchovies. In this version, I've added two other ingredients common to Provence and northern Italy, artichokes and walnuts, and combined them with green peppercorns for a chunky sauce that is excellent on crostini, with cheese or tossed with hot pasta. It is also excellent atop artichoke risotto (see recipe, this page) and artichoke soup (see “Eat This Now” at pantry.blogs.pressdemocrat.com)

There are some commercial artichoke tapenades in the marketplace but I have not yet found one I can recommend. Most are made with previously frozen or canned artichokes and most are crushed into a relatively smooth purée, so you get none of the earthy textures of fresh artichoke.

Artichoke & Olive Tapenade

Makes about 2¼ cups

1 tablespoon kosher salt

3 large artichokes

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 garlic cloves

2-3 anchovy fillets, drained

2 teaspoons green peppercorns in brine, drained

1 teaspoon minced lemon zest

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 cup (6 ounces) cracked green olives, such as picholine, pitted and minced

¼ cup (2 ounces) walnut pieces, toasted and minced

1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, minced

- Black pepper in a mill

Fill a large pot two-thirds full with water, add the salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Using kitchen shears, snip off the tips of the outer leaves of the artichokes.

Drizzle a little of the olive oil in the center of each artichoke and place them in the boiling water. Return to a boil, cover, reduce the heat, and simmer until the artichokes are tender, 20 to 40 minutes, depending on their size and age.

Meanwhile, use a suribachi or mortar and pestle to grind the garlic and anchovies together until they form a smooth paste.

Fold in the green peppercorns, lemon zest and juice, and olive oil, scraping the sides of the bowl as you mix. Set aside.

Transfer the artichokes to a colander or strainer, rinse them under cool water, drain thoroughly, and let them cool.

When they are cool enough to handle, remove all of the leaves, reserving them for another use. Use a teaspoon or a small, sharp paring knife to cut away the choke in the center of each artichoke heart. Discard the chokes and cut the hearts into ¼-inch dice.

In a medium bowl, combine the diced artichoke hearts, olives, walnuts, and olive oil mixture. Add the parsley and several turns of black pepper. Taste and season with salt. Let the tapenade rest 30 minutes before serving.

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Here is a favorite risotto, earthy and a bit tangy, too. For a dramatic presentation, cook eight artichokes instead of four. Set the four largest ones aside. When they are cool, use your fingers to gently spread the leaves, pressing the outer 3 or 4 layers outward and downward, so they form a star of sorts. Gently pull out the inner leaves and enjoy them on their own.

Use a grapefruit spoon or a sharp knife to scoop out the choke and any of its fiber from the heart. Squeeze a little lemon juice into the heart and season it with salt and pepper. Set on individual dinner plates and, when the risotto is ready, place it inside the scooped out artichokes. To really gild the lily, top each portion with a dollop of artichoke tapenade.

Artichoke Risotto

Makes 4 servings

4 large Globe artichokes, cooked until just tender, cooled, cleaned and separated into leaves and hearts

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1 small yellow onion, cut into small dice

4-5 garlic cloves, minced

- Kosher salt

11/4 cup Carnaroli or Vialone Nano rice

4-5 cups homemade chicken stock plus 1 to 2 cups water, hot

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

3 ounces Italian fontina, in small pieces

- Black pepper in a mill

Cut the artichoke hearts into thin crosswise slices and set them aside.

Cut the meat from the tip of the leaves, using a sharp knife to make two slices, close together, at the tip of each leaf. Fluff the slices with your fingers and transfer to a bowl; set aside.

Put olive oil and butter into a medium saucepan, such as an All Clad saucier, set over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft and fragrant, about 8 to 9 minutes; do not let the onion brown. Add the garlic, sauté 1 minute more and season lightly with salt.

Add the rice and cook gently, stirring all the while, until each grain turns milky white, about 2 minutes.

Begin adding stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring after each addition until nearly all the liquid has been absorbed. Adjust the heat as necessary as you cook.

After the third addition of stock, fold in the sliced artichoke hearts. Continue cooking and adding stock until the rice is tender but not mushy, about 18 to 20 minutes.

Stir in the lemon zest, half the julienned artichoke and the cheese, taste, correct for salt and add several turns of black pepper.

After the final addition of stock, remove from the heat and ladle into soup plates. Garnish with the remaining julienned artichoke and enjoy right away.

Michele Anna Jordan is the author of 24 books to date, including “California Home Cooking.” Email her at michele@micheleannajordan.com