So this food box we got two days ago had two things in it that I have never tried before, but had always been curious to: Artichoke hearts and hummus. I tried both and find I like both, the artichoke hearts especially.
What do you think of them? Do you like them or no?
I like artichoke hearts. I always throw in one or two at the olive bar. But they’re not up at the top of the list like dolmades or oil-cured olives or balsamic onions.
Not only do I like them, I know several ways to prepare them. I know a darned good vegetarian stew, with saffron, artichoke hearts, different kind of peppers, chick peas, and olives. It has several other spices, and a few other ingredients.
Another very different recipe is fettuccine, or linguini, feta cheese, black pepper, and marinated artichoke hearts. The marinade is made from olive oil, balsamic vinigar, pepperoncinis, sauteed onions, and a few seasonings. You let them soak overnight. It’s served at room temperature, or cold.
You can also boil artichokes whole, and serve them with melted butter that has a few drops of lemon juice in it. People pluck the leaves off, dip the “heart” end in the butter, and bite it off. Once you have just the heart left, you can cut the good bits off, and dip them on your fork in the butter.
You need to have very small bowls, or egg cups, or individual sauce cups of some kind (a lot of place settings come with little condiment bowls as an option now), so people at a table each have their own. Otherwise, people are dribbling butter across the table, and you run the risk of a double-dipper.
I also have a very good hummus recipe, but you really need either a very good mixer, or a food processor. Canned blended chick peas are tasteless. You really need to buy them whole and puree them yourself.
Are you talking about artichoke hearts that are canned? Bottled? Prepared fresh?
Like most everything else (including hummus), quality can range across a rather wide spectrum, and I’d guess that many who say they don’t like them haven’t had them prepared well - love them myself!
Well, these ones came in a jar, packed/soaking in oil. One jar says “marinated” and the other says “grilled”.
Here, these are the exact kind I have: Grilled, Marinated.
You could put the grilled ones in the stew, and the marinated ones in the pasta, I think. You might need to add a tsp of balsamic vinegar to the pasta.
It’s a waste to cook marinated AHs. That would be cooking it for a second time. Plus you would lose the flavor marinated into it. I don’t see a point to it.
They (plain cooked artichokes) were one of the original prime ingredients to minestrone, and the first mafia racket in the US had to do with controlling artichoke availability in Italian neighborhoods.
You can cook a raw one of course and eat the leaves with vinegar or butter.
The hearts are so good I ate a whole large jar the other night. If they get the vinegar/salt content right they are better than marinated mushrooms that I’ve tried, which are too caustic for me.
My new favorite breakfast is scrambled egg with artichoke hearts (thawed & slightly steamed Trader Joes’ frozen AH then sauteed) and goat cheese. It’s amazing…
Love 'em. I’m too lazy to start off with an artichoke, but the hearts in a can or jar? Yeah! I like to sautee them in olive oil with lots of garlic and whole rosemary.
Sucking on the leaves of a freshly steamed artichoke, and the reward is the artichoke heart.
It is the cream de la creme!
The other reason I don’t cook with them is the “roughage” I have to spit out. It can’t be nice with eggs.
I’ve never eaten artichoke hearts but I imagine they are the vinegary, soft yet resistant stuff of most pickled veggies. Don’t like pickled beets but do like pickled cucumbers and pickled jalapenos and pickled green tomatoes, so there is a good chance I’d like them.
ETA: LOVE humus. 'Specially garlic and/or spicy humus. But nothing added humus is a reason to eat any dried up piece of bread.
Bought in cans/jars, etc., artichoke hearts make a great sandwich on French/Italian bread with tuna, tomato and mayo. I find they work best in “cold” foods. You can sauté them with garlic and ham, for example (lots of restaurants do this), but they retain an immediately recognizable sour flavor from the canning liquid that I don’t like. Much better to use the canned variety as is (squeeze out canning liquid before using).
Bought fresh, you have to remove a lot of the leaves (more than you’d think) to get to the heart, then you trim them with a knife, leaving the pith of the stem on the heart and cutting off the tip of the other end. I usually halve or quarter the prepared hearts and boil them in salted water or in a stew. The most flavorful cooking method, though, is to sauté very thin slices (cut parallel to stem) of the prepared, uncooked hearts.
Castroville California is on the north lip of the Monterey Bay peninsula. It’s the Artichoke Capital of the world. Norma Jean Baker pre-Marilyn Monroe got her first taste of fame as Miss Artichoke. The roadside stands there are to die for - artichokes bigger n softballs. Dipped in butter, garlic, a little Parmesan breadcrumbs. Mmmm.
Anyway, what were we discussing? Yeah, love artichoke hearts. Just made a chunky chicken soup with a can of artichokes added to the mirepoix - the chopped celery, onion and carrot. Adds body and an added flavor.
AH’s are also amazing in risotto, with shiitake mushrooms and fresh garlic and oregano. Or saffron and a touch of curry instead of the oregano.
I like them on pizzas.
One of the pizza places around here lightly breads and fries them. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Artichoke hearts are wonderful. For years, as a young Young, I would eat only the leaves of a steamed artichoke. My wife eventually insisted I try the heart; I’ve been a lover ever since. She should never have insisted; previously, she always got my heart to eat as well as hers. Afterwards, she had to make do with hers only.
We’re divorced now. Funny what little things along the way contribute. 
I don’t find there is anything that is rough- it’s not full artichokes I’m using , just hearts and the tenderest inside leaves.
I love artichokes in all their forms.
I note that most canned choke hearts (not marinated) have some citric acid added as a preservative. It gives the hearts a tart flavor.
Only Trader Joe’s canned choke hearts don’t do this. If you don’t want a tartness in your product, buy them there. Frozen ones also have no citric acid.
I like the hearts sauteed a bit in garlicky olive oil and then scatted all over the top of a pizza.
I like both artichoke hearts and hummus, sometimes together. Don’t have them often though.
