All About Artichokes
history, growing, recipes and more
Somehow I became known as "the artichoke lady,” and that might be all I need to be fulfilled in this life. Well, I’d like you to join me in the wonderful world of artichokes. Whether you want to grow them yourself, picked some up from the farmers market, or just want to learn a little more about these thistles.
Artichokes are the hallmark of spring and brighter, warmer days ahead. When artichokes are in season, it is hard to escape them in restaurants and farmers markets. Have you ever dreamt of growing your own artichokes? It's a lot easier to grow artichokes than you might expect. Although commonly thought of as a vegetable, artichokes are actually an edible cultivar of the thistle family. The part of the artichoke that we eat and enjoy is the bud of the thistle flower. The leaves cover the fuzzy and inedible choke which rests upon the edible part - the "heart." If you are looking to grow artichokes in your garden, discover a new recipe, or just learn some more about the beloved thistle, keep reading!
Fun Artichoke History
Artichokes have evoked awe and wonder for centuries. Artichokes have a decorated history that includes scandal and crime. In researching artichokes, I came across several interesting - to say the least - historical events that involve the beloved vegetable.
Martha Washington's "Hartichoak Pie"
The fascination with artichokes was abundant in early United States history. Martha Washington carefully details how to make an artichoke pie in her famous Book of Cookery. Would you try this recipe today?:
"To Make an Hartichoak Pie:
Take 12 hartychoak bottoms yt are good & large, after you have boyled them, take them cleere from ye leaves & cores, season them with a little pepper & salt & lay them on a coffin of paste, with a pound of butter & ye marrow of 2 bones in bigg pieces, then close it up to set in ye oven, then put halfe a pound of sugar to halfe a pinte of verges & some powder of cinnamon and ginger – boyle these together & when ye pie is halfe baked put the liquor in & set it in ye oven againe till it be quite bak’d." - Mrs. Washington's "Book of Cookery" pg. 439
"The Artichoke King"
In the 1920's and 1930's, Ciro Terranova, a member of the alleged mob, ran a monopoly on artichokes. Back then and even to this day, nearly all commercially grown artichokes in the United States are from California. Terranova would purchase all of the imported artichokes, turning them at a hefty markup and subsequent profit. It is said that during his monopoly on the crop, "The Artichoke King" was raking in a million dollars a year. To protect his monopoly Terranova went to great lengths - threatening distributors and local merchants. He went so far as to chop down artichoke plants at competing farms in the middle of the night. Due to the monopoly and the ensuing violence to protect the cash crop, Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia imposed a ban on artichokes. The ban on "the sale, display and possession" of artichokes only lasted a week after LaGuardia admitted his love for artichokes.
Artichoke Festival
In the United States, artichokes are most commonly grown in California. Castroville, a coastal city in Monterey County, is the epicenter of commercial artichoke growing. The city has hosted an Artichoke Festival for over 60 years. The festival celebrates artichokes prepared in traditional and new unique ways.
Where Artichokes Grow Best
Artichokes are best grown in damp weather, with cool summer temperatures and mild winters. As a result, they are primarily grown commercially in California. Artichokes are perennials that can survive for up to 6 years in mild-winter areas. In areas that experience frost, artichokes can be grown as an annual.
Recommended Varieties of Artichoke to Grow
There are over 140 varieties of artichokes but only a dozen are popularly grown.
My favorite variety to grow, and the one I recommend to anyone that will hear me, is “Green Globe”. I've had great success growing this variety over the years. Green Globe is an heirloom variety that produces large spherical artichoke heads. Other well known varieties include, but are not limited to: Emerald, Grand Beurre, Harmony, Imperial Star, and Purple Sicilian.