SMART THINKING

Globe artichokes will be appearing at your local farmers’ markets from now until December. The season is short, so grab a few and try a vegetable that’s fun to eat and has a mild, nutty flavour.

Globe artichokes will be appearing at your local farmers’ markets until December.

Journey to village markets in the Mediterranean in spring and you’re likely to see a stall with a pot of seasoned boiling water filled with globe artichokes. You simply order one with a squeeze of lemon juice for a rustic seasonal snack. It may be the simplest preparation of this wonderful edible thistle, but one that is well worth sampling for its purity of flavour. Artichokes grow well in New Zealand and will be appearing in farmers’ markets up and down the country about now. The edible portion of the plant consists of the flower buds before the flowers come into bloom – if you leave them too long you’ll get a beautiful, blue-violet flower, but nothing to eat.

Artichokes generally grow best in cooler parts of New Zealand that have hot, dry summers. Our artichoke season is short and is often over by December when the heat of summer hits and the flower blooms. The easiest way to enjoy a fresh artichoke is to trim off the top layer of leaves, then remove any tough outer leaves. Simmer it in salted, boiling water for about 30 minutes, or until the inner leaves are easy to pull away. Remove from the water, then simply open it up with your fingers and serve with a dipping sauce such as melted butter, mayonnaise or good balsamic vinegar. Pick a leaf from the outside, dip it in the sauce and then suck on it, scraping the soft flesh against your teeth, then discarding the fibrous remains. The heart sits under the hairy choke, which you remove, and is tender and quite delicious.

VISIT MiNDFOOD.COM

From a Brown Butter Pasta With Artichokes to Chicken Breast With Fresh Artichokes & Bearnaise Sauce, there are a number of ways to use this exciting Mediterranean edible thistle. mindfood.com/artichokes