Crispy artichokes —and the vegetable garden Part 5: the lattice fence and the gate
Alcachofas, artichokes, are probably my mom‘s favorite vegetable. And if you make them using this recipe, it might become your favorite vegetable too. Bye-bye chips! For that touch of crunchiness plus an overdose of flavor, try alcachofas fritas, crispy artichokes, which could easily be called artichoke chips.
Ta da! We have a gate
Not only are these crispy artichokes so tasty that you will not be able to stop after eating one or two, but they’re also highly nutritious. Artichokes have a high cynarine content, a substance that protects the liver and stimulates the biliary secretion (biliary secretion permits the body to eliminate substances that can not be eliminated through the renal system, the kidneys). They are also highly diuretic, as well as rich in fiber and low in calories. Because of their high fiber content, they are filling and help the digestive system by preventing constipation. What more can you ask for! Oh, yes, they are also rich in calcium and phosphorus and in vitamins B1, C, B3, B5 and B6.
Vertical slats are going up, finials are painted…
Slats are up and finials are painted!
I am lucky I come from a region in Spain where cultivation of artichokes is almost an art. Artichokes were brought into the Iberian peninsula by the Greeks and then the Romans, and its cultivation was perfected during the Middle Ages. Today, they’re a beloved vegetable in Spain, one that can be prepared in many ways: in salads, in stews, sautéed, grilled or baked. You can buy them canned, but when I find them fresh at the market (and they’re not easy to find where I live) I grab them immediately, head home, peel them and clean them and make a whole batch of crispy artichokes to munch on.
Don’t be turned away by their looks. Aren’t they beautiful, though? If I were in Spain and found them in great quantities, I would place a bunch of them in a bowl as a centerpiece on the kitchen table.
Soon there will be a gate
We chose to place the hardware inside the garden and make it “invisible” (even if it’s very nice hardware!)
The gate is up, time for touch-ups
Tha master planner and builder
At the same time, they may look intimidating to somebody that hasn’t cooked with them often. Don’t be discouraged: fresh artichokes are quite easy to clean and prepare. Simply remove the outer leaves that are closer to the stem, cut transversely the top of the artichoke to get rid of the tougher top, and discard most of the stem, as it can be a bit bitter. You can save all those leaves to add to your stocks (I do!) and continue working with the heart of the artichoke.
Prepare them using this recipe and you will be hooked (I can even anticipate you will prefer them over kale chips!). Frying them in a bit of extra-virgin olive oil is the traditional way to make crispy artichokes, but if you’re concerned about the fat content (even though olive oil provides good fat) you can toss them in a little bit of it and bake them in a single layer (I explain both methods in the recipe). I can’t wait for you to try them and let me know what you think!
Very appropriately, and considering that spring starts today and that planting is just around the corner, I am accompanying this recipe with Part 5 of the construction of our vegetable garden, which we started in the spring of 2020. It was a lot of work, but so worth it! We enjoyed an abundance of vegetables that lasted us well into December!
In today’s post you see the lattice work on the fence. We decided to do it in rectangles rather than squares, and it took us a number of days to make that decision. As for the gate, which you can see on this post as well, deciding on the hardware took not days but weeks! An after we had chosen the hinges, handle and lock we liked, placing it on the inside or on the outside of the garden was another difficult decision. At the end we placed it on the inside, and therefore not visible when you stand on the outside, facing the garden. You can see our happy faces after we finished this step of the process. Phew!
By next (and probably last) vegetable garden episode, I may be planting, yay!
CRISPY ARTICHOKES
Ingredients
- Medium artichokes
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt or flakes of sea salt
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Wash the artichokes. Working one artichoke at a time, hold it on the palm of your hand and, with a paring knife, remove the leaves closer to the stem by gently pulling them. Remove at least two layers of leaves, or until a lighter green color starts to show.
- Remove most of the stem and discard.
- Place the artichoke on its side on a cutting board and transversally cut about 1 inch off the top.
- Slice the artichoke lengthwise into 1/4 inch-wide slices.
- Place the slices in a bowl with water and the teaspoon of lemon juice unitl ready to use (the lemon helps them not to blacken).
Method 1:
- On the stove top, heat 1 Tbs olive oil in a skillet on medium-high heat. Working in batches and adding an extra tablespoon of olive oil between batches, fry the slices of artichoke, about 2 minutes per side. Place them on a plate lined with paper towels. To serve, remove the paper towels, sprinkle with scales of sea salt and serve immediately.
Method 2:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Place the slices of artichoke on an oven tray lined with parchment paper. Brush them with olive oil and place the tray in the oven. Bake for about 7 minutes. Turn the slices of artichoke over and bake for another 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with scales of sea salt. Serve immediately.
