Kem Ormond’s vegetable garden: Globe artichokes - how to plant and eat them

Artichokes should be planted from September to November and ready to harvest in 20-28 weeks. Photo / Richard Robinson

Kem Ormond is a features writer for NZME community newspapers and The Country. She’s also a keen gardener. This week, she discusses the merits of the French-loved globe artichoke and advises on planting and eating this delicate thistle.

OPINION

Visit France, and when in season, you will see globe artichokes in all supermarkets, corner stores,and greengrocers.

They are a staple in the French diet.

Here in New Zealand, we are getting a bit more adventurous when it comes to trying the unusual thistle-looking delicacy.

The globe artichoke (Cynara scolymus) is also known as French artichoke and green artichoke.

It is recognisable by its silver-like foliage, growing to usually at least a metre or more in height and producing wonderful big thistle-looking buds.

If these buds are left to mature, they turn into an amazing purple thistle-like flower head.

These glorious flower heads are a big attraction to the bees.

I first purchased a few globe artichoke plants from my local garden shop and planted them as a backdrop for my vegetable garden and the effect was both dramatic and pleasing.

Then, as I started to learn more about the actual artichoke itself and experiment with how to cook them, they became a firm favourite.

You can grow globe artichokes from seed - although this can take forever - or buy your plants. They can also be propagated by division quite easily.

Plant them from September to November and they should be ready to harvest in 20-28 weeks.

They like moist but well-drained soil and enjoy being in full sun.

The plants grow large, so you need space, so look at leaving about 1m around each plant.

Harvest in the spring, picking the buds when they are firm and the outer bracts are just unfolding - don’t leave them any longer as you won’t be able to eat them.

Yes, they are a little fiddly to prepare but cook them and give them to a guest, accompanied with some melted butter or hollandaise sauce, and watch the delight on their faces.

So many people want to try them but don’t know where to start with preparing them.

You will find that the leaves are meaty with a bit of a nutty taste.

Once you have mastered the art of preparing them, you won’t look back.

Preparing your artichokes

Artichokes are fiddly to prepare but worth the effort. Photo / 123rf

I have found that steaming is the easiest way to cook artichokes. I steam mine in a steamer basket.

Lemons are your friend when it comes to preparing your artichokes.

Rub the cut surfaces with lemon to reduce oxidation and then peel off any tough small petals on the stem.

Trim the end of the stem, score and then use your peeler to trim away the tough outer skin of the artichoke stem.

Then, rub the peeled sides of the stem with lemon.

Now trim the leaves slicing half to one inch off the top of the artichoke, using kitchen scissors to trim off the pointy tips of the lower leaves.

Then rub the flat top with lemon juice.

Steaming your artichokes

Artichoke Panzanella

Once you’ve prepared your artichokes, add a couple of inches of cold water to a large pot, and squeeze in some more lemon juice from half a small lemon. I usually add the squeezed segments too.

Using a steamer basket inside the pot, pop in the artichokes.

Then bring to a boil over high heat, reducing the heat to a simmer.

Cover and cook for 35-45 minutes.

Your artichokes are ready when the stems are tender when poked with a skewer and you can easily peel away the outer leaves.

Remove the choke by slicing the steamed artichoke in half lengthwise.

Using a small spoon scoop out the hairy choke, which sits between the cup-shaped artichoke heart and the tender inner leaves - you won’t be able to miss it.

You can use the leaves, the stem, and the heart.

To eat the leaves, what you do is peel them off one by one and scrape off the tender meat with your teeth, discarding the tough, fibrous shell.

They’re tasty on their own, but they’re not complete without some sort of dipping sauce.

Melted butter and hollandaise sauce are my favourites.

The artichoke heart and the stem are what will be left when the leaves have been eaten.

They are nice with olive oil, sea salt, and lemon juice, or you can do the butter or hollandaise dip as well!