How to Make Artichokes

June is National Fruits and Vegetables Month!

I am celebrating with one of my favorite finger foods that really says “Spring” to me – ARTICHOKES!

This month, I am going to go out of my way to expand my repertoire, and I was happy to see that Whole Foods has beautiful organic artichokes on sale.

I know it’s easy to get in a rut and just eat kale smoothies, kale salad, and kale chips, but there is a whole world of fruits and vegetables out there, and lots of nutritious reasons to give artichokes a try.

Artichokes are one of the first documented foods in our history. It is written that Zeus turned his object of affection into an artichoke when he found out she was secretly leaving Mount Olympia to visit her family

Are Artichokes Good for Me?

When it comes to nutrition, artichokes are a top anti-inflammatory food. According to Science Daily the USDA cited artichokes at number seven for their total antioxidant capacity by weight. Artichokes are also high in folate, vitamin C, and vitamin K. They are high in fiber, and are considered a prebiotic food, meaning that they feed your gut microbiome. The bacteria take those fibers and turn them into short chain fatty acids (SCFA’s) that fuel and keep your intestinal lining healthy. SCFA’s also have a systemic affect, aiding in weight loss and glycemic control.

How Many Calories are in Artichokes?

Restaurants will deep fry artichoke hearts, or prepare them decadently with lots of breading and mayonnaise dipping sauce. Applebee’s Spinach Artichoke Dip is 940 calories, 57 grams of fat, and 2620 mg sodium.

I like my artichokes less adulterated so the nutty, earthy flavor comes through.

One whole artichoke is only 64 calories. It packs a whopping 10 grams of fiber, and 3.5 grams of protein, so most of the calories are not absorbed, and are passed on to our good bacteria for food in the form of prebiotic fibers. The recipe below is less than 200 calories for each whole artichoke, with 40 of the calories coming from fibers that are not absorbed. You can reduce the calories to less than 100 by omitting the oil in the recipe.

How to Prepare Artichokes

Artichokes are very easy to prepare, so no formal recipe is required. They do brown quickly once they are cut, so have all of your ingredients ready to go

You will need some olive oil, good Parmesan cheese, chopped garlic, a lemon, some white wine, and a generous pinch of salt The amount below will cover two large artichokes

Cut the tip off of the stem and then trim the stem. Don’t chop the stem off. It is delicious, and an extension of the heart.

Pull off a few rows of the bottom leaves and discard. Lay the artichoke on its’ side and cut off about 1/3 of the top, or enough so that you’re cutting the tips off of the leaves

Cut the artichoke lengthwise and take a spoon to scoop out the furry bits that lie on top of the heart and discard that

Put a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy skillet, add the artichoke cut side down, and about 1 cup of water, 1 cup of white wine, zest and juice of one lemon, a generous pinch of salt, and your garlic.

Cover and let steam over medium heat.

Turn over cut side up and sprinkle some good Parmesan cheese in to tighten up the liquid in the pan.

Cover and continue to simmer for about 15 minutes more.

Artichokes tell you when they are done. The leaves will peel off easily.

If you have some fresh herbs like oregano or parsley, add a small handful then transfer to a plate, pour the Parmesan sauce over the top and dig in.

You eat artichokes by inverting the leaf and scraping the petals across your bottom teeth and then discard the rest of the fibrous remains. The heart and stem are eaten in their entirety

Peak season is almost over so get your artichokes now! If you do not prepare them right away, store them in the refrigerator and prepare within one week.