 Back in 1948, Marilyn Monroe's first claim to fame was being crowned California's first Artichoke Queen. Today, artichokes need little endorsement. People love their buttered-popcorn aroma. Then there is the tiny nibble at the base of each leaf, whetting the appetite for the artichoke heart--which is actually the bud of the plant. The smooth, sweet taste of the artichoke and the leisurely manner of consuming it make this a popular vegetable. This green vegetable of Arabian-Mediterranean origin is a close relative of the cardoon and a member of the sunflower family. Castroville (near Monterey) bills itself as the "Artichoke Center of the World," produces three-fourths of all California artichokes, and California grows America's entire domestic crop.
Health Benefits: This iodine-rich thistle is low in calories and high in fiber, vitamin C, folate, magnesium, chromium, manganese, potassium, iron, and calcium.
Use: Artichokes are one of the few vegetables that you can pressure cook: Simmering them in a pot requires 50 minutes, while pressure steaming takes only 15 minutes. Baby artichokes may be trimmed, then halved or quartered, and sautéed, baked, or pickled. In larger artichokes, the choke (the fibrous center found underneath the smallest leaves and covering the heart) must be removed.
Buying: In the spring when the liver and the gallbladder most need support, artichokes are at their peak availability. Their secondary peak season is October, though they can usually be found year-round. Fall or winter artichokes may be darker or bronze tipped, or they may have a whitish, blistered appearance due to exposure to light frost, which actually increases their sweetness. The tip of each artichoke leaf ends in a sharp spine or pricker.
The Spanish named the ubiquitous Native American sunflower girasol, because from dawn to dusk its blossoms turn east to west following the sun. Presumably, this word sounded like Jerusalem. That, together with the tuber's sweet, almost artichoke like flavor when cooked, is probably how it earned the unlikely name of Jerusalem artichoke. Its edible tuber looks like a small potato but with multiple knobs like ginger. The flesh is sweet, crisp, and white or yellow, and is delicious steamed or served raw in salads.
 Harvesters claim that asparagus spears grow so fast that when you are astride a row and bending to cut you either work briskly or get speared from behind. One spear may grow as much as ten inches in a day. Compared to modern plants like roses, grass, and cabbage, asparagus looks ancient; indeed, it dates back to the age of reptiles, when ferns were the dominant plants. Botanically, asparagus is unusual in that there are distinct male and female plants--the male spears are skinny and the females plump. Their flavor depends upon freshness, however, and not sex, and only the young green shoots or spears should be eaten. If allowed to mature, a beautiful but inedible fern develops; the asparagus fern is in fact a popular hanging plant.
Health Benefits: It contains good amounts of vitamins, A, B-complex, C and E, as well as potassium and zinc.
Use: To remove the fibrous stalk end, hold the stalk by each end and bend it until it snaps in two. Use the stalk ends for stock; or peel to remove the fibrous skin and use the tender centers in salad or as finger food; or cook as you would the upper stalk. Steam the spears until tender. If just picked, steaming requires but two minutes, while older--and also thicker--stalks naturally require more time. Chopped, organic asparagus is delicious in stir-fried dishes, soups and salads. Use asparagus as soon as possible after purchasing. Once bought, store asparagus loosely covered in the refrigerator. To maintain freshness, wrap a moist paper towel around the stem ends or stand them upright in two inches of cold water.
 Preferred in Europe, these sunlight-deprived stalks are a little milder, less bitter than the green variety, and more delicate.
Purple asparagus originated from a region around Albenga, Italy. This "cultivar" is known as Violetto d/Albenga. Although the spears are of deep purple color, the ferns are actually green. The farmers in Albenga region propagate the plants using seeds from open pollination. Purple hybrids produce larger spears but less in number per plant than the green hybrids. Purple asparagus is much sweeter and more tender than green asparagus. Thus, it is very suitable for use in salad. Purple asparagus retains its color after brief cooking such as quick sautéing. But it loses its purple and changes to green if subjected to prolonged cooking.
from Rebecca Wood's The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia |
