Go for the Globe…Artichokes

April is the Artichoke’s 15 minutes of fame. And they get their spotlight every April. It happens to be the biggest month of harvest for the thorny Artichoke from Castroville. In fact, over the next 6 – 8 weeks, almost half of the year’s supply of Artichokes will be picked. To those who love this spring vegetable, the Artichoke is no joke. This softball sized spiky green vegetable won over the hearts of the pharaohs of Egypt, the heart of Marilyn Monroe and the people of the tiny coastal town of Castroville, California. Here, every April, growers will tell you that the “Artichokes even grow on fence posts.” It is an impressive sight, driving down the bumpy roads of nearly 5,000 acres of Artichokes in Castroville, the “Artichoke Center of the World.” You can see huge Artichokes at eye height on the massive plants. It’s called the “terminal bud.” And it sits high atop the plant like the lighted star on a Christmas tree. Before we go any further, let’s get this over with. Is the Artichoke a fruit or a vegetable? Well, it’s neither one. It’s actually a flower, the original edible flower. The Artichoke is the flowering bud of the Mediterranean Thistle. The artichoke’s history begins in the Mediterranean. In its ancient form, growing along the banks of the Nile River, it was more like the Cardoon plant, a close relative to the Artichoke. As the Roman Empire spread, so did the Artichoke, into Spain, France and Italy.  Italians in San Francisco became the first to plant Artichokes in Castroville, in the early 1920s. There are three simple things in picking out the most awesome Artichoke. First, find the one with the fattest stem. That one will have the biggest heart. Second, make sure it weighs heavy for its size. More weight means there is more meat on the leaves. Finally, without poking yourself, give that globe a gentle squeeze. If it squeaks, it’s fresh. By the way, the artichoke’s curious nutty flavor makes other foods taste sweeter.
Gettin' Fresh...YPM