whats an artichoke and what do you do with it?

Answer 1

Artichokes are three types of vegetables. When unqualified, the term "artichoke" nearly always refers to the globe artichoke, of which the aboveground part is eaten, in contrast to the other two, where a root part is eaten. The word artichoke is taken from the Arabic ارضي شوكي (ardi shauki) or ارضي شوك (ardi shauk), meaning literally, "ground-thorn."

The Globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus L.) is a species of thistle. The edible part of the plant is the base (receptacle) of the artichoke head in bud, properly called a vegetable as it is harvested well before any fruit develops. With regards to America, it was first brought to California by Italians in the 1880s, and is farmed mostly in that state.
The Jerusalem artichoke Helianthus tuberosus is a species of sunflower. The edible part of the plant is the tuber.
The Chinese artichoke Stachys affinis is a species of woundwort. The edible part of the plant is the tuber.
The Artichoke Pendant is a famous light fixture designed by Poul Henningsen in 1958.


First you have to make sure to pick out a good one, they are seasonal. look for one with a large stem, the best are the ones with a base the size of a quarter to a silver dollar. then boil them until the leaves slide right off.
I like to dip the leaves in butter and use my bottom teeth to get the stuff off the leaves, yum!! then I use the heart for a spinach/artichoke dip. just mix with cream cheese....mmmmmm!!! especially good (and ornamental) when served in a sourdough bread bowl.


The Perfect Hot Artichoke and Spinach Dip

INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1 1/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 (10 ounce) bag spinach, chopped
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

In a medium bowl, combine green onions and jalapeno. Stir in pressed garlic.

In an 8x10 inch glass baking dish, mix sour cream and mayonnaise. Stir in green onions mixture. Blend in 1 cup mozzarella and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Stir in spinach and artichokes. Spread mixture evenly across the baking dish. Sprinkle lemon juice on top, and cover with aluminum foil.

Bake in a preheated oven about 20 minutes. Remove, and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan.

Return to oven, and bake until lightly browned, about 5 minutes more.


Spinach Artichoke Feta Ball

INGREDIENTS:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 (10 ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 (4 ounce) package feta cheese, crumbled
1 (4 ounce) can artichoke hearts, chopped with hard leaf tips removed
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 (1 ounce) package dry ranch salad dressing mix

DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, spinach, feta cheese, artichokes, garlic and Ranch dressing mix. Mix together with clean hands until well blended. Form into a ball or log and set on a serving plate. Done!


Artichoke Cheese Dip

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/8 teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/8 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/2 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Combine the mayonnaise, Cheddar cheese, Jack cheese, onion salt, dill weed, lemon pepper and artichoke hearts. Mix well and pour into a 2 quart baking dish.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Serve with toasted French bread or garlic bread


Artichoke, Mushroom and Parma Ham Tart

INGREDIENTS:
1 3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
2/3 cup butter, diced
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
3 ounces Parma ham
1/2 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained
7/8 cup creme fraiche
4 eggs
1 teaspoon chopped flat leaf parsley
1/3 cup milk
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Place flour, parmesan cheese, butter, and a pinch of salt in food processor. Process briefly. Add the egg and 1 tablespoon oil through feeder tube, adding extra oil if necessary; you should be able to bring the dough together in your hands. Wrap in plastic, and chill for 1 hour.

Roll out to fit a 9 inch quiche pan with a loose bottom. Prick all over. Chill for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
Line pastry with foil, and cover bottom with uncooked beans. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 15 minutes. Remove foil and beans, and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove and cool.

Saute; mushrooms in 1 tablespoon olive oil for 10 minutes. Drain and cool.

Lay ham over the pastry base, and top with mushrooms and artichokes. Beat together creme fraiche, eggs, parsley, and milk.

Season well with black pepper and salt; pour mixture over the ham and vegetables. Bake for 40 minutes, until golden. Serve warm or cold.

Answer 2

Basically there are two types commonly eaten in the UK, Jerusalem and Globe artichokes.

Despite its name, the Jerusalem artichoke has no relation to Jerusalem, and little to do with artichokes. The name Jerusalem is due to folk etymology; when the Jerusalem artichoke was first discovered it was called Girasole, the Italian word for sunflower. The Jerusalem artichoke is a type of sunflower, in the same genus as the garden sunflower Helianthus annuus. Over time the name Girasole transformed into Jerusalem, and to avoid confusion people have recently started to refer to it as sunchoke or sunroot, which is closer to the original Native American name for the plant.

The artichoke part of the Jerusalem artichoke's name comes from its taste of its edible tuber, which is a cross between a radish and an artichoke.

The tubers are gnarly and uneven, vaguely resembling ginger root, with a crisp texture when raw. Unlike most tubers, but in common with other members of the Asteraceae (including the artichoke), the tubers store the carbohydrate inulin (not to be confused with insulin) instead of starch. For this reason, Jerusalem artichoke tubers are an important source of fructose for industry. The carbohydrates gives the tubers a tendency to break down and dissolve when cooked, in addition to giving them a legendary facility to produce flatulence.

Peel them and boil like potatoes.

The Globe Artichoke (Cynara scolymus) is a perennial, thistle-like plant, originating in southern Europe around the Mediterranean. It grows to 1.5-2 m tall, with arching, deeply lobed, silvery glaucous-green leaves 50-80 cm long. The flowers develop in a large head from an edible bud about 8-15 cm diameter with numerous triangular scales; the individual florets are purple.

Whole Globe Artichokes are prepared for cooking by removing all but 5-10 mm or so of the stem, and (optionally) cutting away about a quarter of each scale with scissors. This removes the thorns that can interfere with handling the leaves when eating. Then, the artichoke is boiled or steamed until tender, about 15-45 minutes. If boiling, salt can be added to the water, if desired. It may be preferable to not cover the pot while the artichokes are boiled, so that the acids will boil out into the air. Covered artichokes can turn brown due to the acids and chlorophyll becoming theophylline. [citation needed]

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Eating
After cooking, the large leathery scales forming a tight rosette are pulled off one by one, and their soft, inner basal part (usually) dipped in some kind of sauce, perhaps butter and lemon, mayonnaise or vinaigrette. The dipped soft part is then pulled off with the teeth and all the rest of the leaf discarded. The fleshy, edible part is found by many to be delicious, but quite sparse in proportion to that which is discarded.

This process continues until most of the leaves have been removed and the remaining ones are too small and delicate to bother with eating. This point is difficult to judge and the novice artichoke eater may wish to seek guidance by discreetly watching a companion. Finally, a knife is used to remove the thistle (the immature florets); the whole top layer of delicate feathery growth crowning the heart. It is this central top of the stem that supports the rosette that is sold cut up, pickled and bottled as "artichoke hearts".

The thistle part is fibrous and unpleasant to eat, and has a way of getting everywhere when it is cut away from the heart. Therefore, it is wise to cut some of the edible heart away and discard it along with the thistle to avoid making a mess.

Globe Artichokes can be harvested while still small, cooked, and eaten whole. Boiled Globe Artichokes can be deep fried in batter. Smaller artichokes can be quartered, tossed with oil, and roasted. Immature artichokes can also be pickled or canned. Globe Artichokes may also be used to flavour liqueur.

Answer 3

an artichoke is a veggie. a good one needs to have its leave tight together. if the leaves are opening, the artichoke is no good. the way i make them: cut off the stems, boil the whole artichoke until they are dark green, once they are done i place them in a bowl (stem side down so it rests evenly), drizzle it with some extra virgin olive oil and finely chop garlic and sprinkle in between the leaves.

Answer 4

Oh heck what doesnt go together with artichoke dip? I like that stuff. However, in a party environment i would pick tortilla or pita chips. They are hearty enough to stand up to scooping and have a excellent crunch to offset the super creaminess of the dip. Additionally, for those who scooped the core from a small boulle and crammed the core with the dip and bread chunks on the part that would be yummy additionally. You can also need multiple dip tho, if its an appetizer for greater than three men and women

Answer 5

oh heck what doesnt cross with artichoke dip? i like that stuff. nevertheless, in a social gathering environment i might decide upon tortilla or pita chips. they're hearty ample to get up to scooping and feature a high-quality crunch to offset the exquisite creaminess of the dip. additionally, should you scooped the middle from a small boulle and stuffed the middle with the dip and bread chunks at the part that might be yummy additionally. you may also want a couple of dip tho, if its an appetizer for greater than three individuals

Answer 6

its a leave vegetable that u eat but u only eat a certain part of it........i tried them when i was younger but couldnt manage which part ya eat and i think they come from france well thats where i tried them

Answer 7

Its a veggy - throw it in the trash