Whenever someone in my house mentions the word “artichoke,” one or both of my kids love to say, “Arty choked???” (with a melodramatic expression of shock). Corny, I know, but we are a family of cornballs who love these “ba-dum-bum” type jokes. As you can imagine, this particular joke is getting a lot of mileage in my house this week, since I’m participating in the Spring Fling event and the food being celebrated all week is the artichoke. I’ve made Stuffed Artichokes, Artichoke Soup and, now, Artichoke Hearts Oreganata.
I have to admit, if I am not preparing them whole, I find it much easier to work with frozen artichoke hearts. Buying them frozen saves you the trouble of prepping them (removing the leaves and the choke, steaming the hearts and then cutting them) and allows you to enjoy them at any time of year and not just in spring, when they are in season.
Frozen artichoke hearts are also much closer to the flavor and texture of fresh ones than canned artichoke hearts (not to mention the fact that, unlike canned vegetables, vegetables that have been flash frozen just after picking, maintain most of their vitamins and nutrients).
Whichever artichoke you choose, go grab some and join the celebration by posting your favorite artichoke recipes/tips in the comments section of this blog and any/all of the participating blogs (listed below). And if you don’t have a recipe or a tip, an artichoke joke will suffice (we could certainly use a new one!?!) Ba-dum-bum.
Artichoke Hearts Oreganata
1 package of frozen artichoke hearts (8 ounce)
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/ 2 lemon, juiced (about 3 Tbsp. of juice)
3 Tbsp. seasoned breadcrumbs
Preheat the broiler. Heat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook until it just begins to turn brown. Add frozen artichoke hearts and ¼ cup water. Cook until water evaporates and a knife can be easily inserted into an artichoke heart (about 6-8 minutes). Remove from heat, add the lemon juice, and spoon into a small baking dish (they should form a single layer in the dish). Sprinkle the seasoned breadcrumbs over the top and place under the broiler for 5 minutes or until the breadcrumbs are nicely browned. These may be eaten warm, or at room temperature.
Serves 4.
Check out the other artichoke recipes at these participating blogs:
Roberto at Food2: The Art of the Artichoke
Nicole at Pinch My Salt: Artichoke Recipe Roundup
Kirsten at FN Dish: Spring Fling: Artichokes
Dana at Healthy Eats: All About Artichokes
Diane and Todd at White On Rice Couple: Grilled Artichoke Stems
Roberto at Cooking Channel: Artichoke Appetizers
Jaden at Steamy Kitchen: Baby Artichokes with Garlic and Tomatoes
