Posts Tagged ‘Artichokes’

Artichokes are an incredible treat during the colder months. The first of the season are now arriving at Natoora and we asked our buyer to show us how to prepare them for cooking.

1. Tear off the outer leaves (be careful of any spikes) until you reach leaves that are a lighter shade.

2. Peel and trim the stalk, leaving about 15cm.

3. Cut the artichoke horizontally, using a sharp knife, to remove the upper parts of the remaining leaves.

4. Slice lengthways in half or quarters if you prefer.

5. If there is a hairy choke, scoop it out with the knife or a spoon.

6. Put in acidulated water to prevent discolouration.

7. Get cooking! See all our artichoke recipes here

Top tips:

• To check if the artichoke is good, it needs to be firm and not speckled, and the leaves well attached to the heart. The stalk also has to be firm.
• The first 4 cm of the stalk is absolutely delicious so do not throw away, but make sure to remove the outer strings by scraping with a knife, or by peeling the outer part.
• Artichokes will keep in a plastic bag in the fridge for 5-6 days. You can take out the outer leaves and cut the top, wash thoroughly, blanch in water with some lemon and freeze. Or see our artichoke preserving masterclass to make your own deli delights.
• Once cut, artichokes will discolour so if you are not cooking them immediately put in acidulated water.

Spiky Artichokes, just £1.76 each

The spiky Sardinian artichoke might look menacing with its streamlined shape and long, sturdy thorns, but don’t be fooled. Inside is a delicate heart, packed with tenderness and superb flavour. In fact, the reason why its exterior is so sharp is to protect this precious prize, and once you peel away the outer leaves and cut off the spikes, it is one of the few artichokes which is so tender you enjoy the heart raw.

Spiky Artichokes, £1.76 each - buy now

…We have 5 signed copies of “My Kitchen” by Stevie Parle to be won
Click here to enter our competition!

In 2010, The Observer Food Monthly voted Stevie Parle as their Young Chef of the Year. Stevie trained at the River Café, Moro and Petersham Nurseries and has travelled the world to find new recipes and ways of cooking.

Now, he runs the highly successful Dock Kitchen in Ladbroke Grove as well as writing his own weekly column in the Telegraph.

We have 5 signed copies of his new cookbook “My Kitchen” to be won. An enthralling glimpse into his amazing knowledge of ingredients and worldy food experience, the book is divided into 12 chapters for the months of the year.

His dedication to seasonal ingredients has made him Natoora’s perfect customer, and we have been supplying him since he opened the Dock Kitchen in 2009 – that means you can really recreate these eclectic dishes at home by shopping online with us.

Stevie Parle’s Raw Artichoke Salad
“At this time of year, the most delicious artichokes come over from Italy…”(’March’, My Kitchen)

Serves 4
4 artichokes, prepared
lemon juice
a few leaves of chopped parsley
good olive oil

Get all these ingredients free*
Click for promotional code

*excludes olive oil
TO PREPARE AN ARTICHOKE
1. Tear off the leaves, one by one, starting from the base. Do not snap them off, or you’ll risk losing some of the precious heart.
2.The outer leaves will be dark green. When you reach leaves that are about half a light green shade, stop peeling.
3. Peel the stalk, and then the dark green part from the outside of the heart.
4. Trim off the stalk, leaving about 15cm.
5. Cut the artichoke horizontally at the point where the colour changes.
6. Scoop out any hairy choke from inside.
7. Put in slightly lemony water to prevent discolouration.

Carefully slice the artichokes very thinly lengthways, put the slices in a bowl, then squeeze over the lemon to prevent discolouration. Add the parsley. Season, squeeze over more lemon and pour on some oil, mix well and taste. It’s important they are well-dressed but not swimming.

Taken from “My Kitchen” by Stevie Parle of the Dock Kitchen (supplied by Natoora.)

Stevie Parle, cook at The Dock Kitchen in Notting Hill, recently wrote a mouth-watering article in The Observer Organic Allotment blog. We were so pleased to see our fantastic spring peas and broad beans get a mention and be featured in his perfect springtime dish. We’ve been suppling The Dock Kitchen with our fruit and veg since they started and it’s the same fruit and veg available online at www.natoora.co.uk so you really can re-create this fantastic dish at home!

Read on for his broad bean, pea and artichoke creation, or read the full article in The Guardian, and don’t forget to visit Stevie Parle’s blog for more delicious ideas.

Peas, Artichokes and Broad Beans slow cooked together with Sweet Herbs, Lemon and Turkish Pepper Flakes

Serves 6 as a lunch or 8 as a starter

500g of fresh peas without pods
400g of fresh broad beans podded
8 small violette artichokes
2 small red onions
a quarter of a spring garlic bulb
a few sprigs of each mint, parsley, dill, tarragon, chervil and marjoram
a pinch of Turkish pepper flakes (or other mild dried chilli pepper)
a generous amount of olive oil
1 lemon

“Take the artichokes and cut the stems leaving about 5 cm below the choke. Peel the leaves one by one taking care not to pull off much choke. When a little less than half the leaf is tender and pale yellow instead of dark green and tough, stop peeling and cut the dark green tops off. Peel the outside of the stem and the base of the heart. Remove any furry choke and quarter the artichokes before setting them aside in some lemony water.

Finely chop the onion and fry it gently in olive using a deep heavy bottomed pan. When the onion has turned a little translucent add the garlic, finely chopped, and season well with salt and pepper. When this mixture has cooked long enough for the onion to start to break up and the flavour developed the sweetness only onions and garlic can, add the artichoke quarters continue to cook slowly for another five minutes until they begin to soften. Add the peas and broad beans, fry gently for a little while and then add enough water to almost cover the vegetables. Place a piece of greaseproof paper over and allow to cook gently until everything has softened and the flavours have all mingled. Coarsley chop all the herbs, add them and then finish with the lemon and a glug more delicious olive oil for good measure.

Serve a little warmer than room temperature in a bowl, with a piece of toast rubbed with garlic and drizzled with oil.”

Thanks Stevie we will definitely be trying this one out! There’s plenty more Spring goodies to find at Natoora – why not check out our weekly picks for some inspiration and get cooking!

Finally Spring has sprung and we are celebrating with a soup made of our favourite early spring veg…

Serves 4

2 Garlic Cloves
4 Artichokes
4 Spring Onions
200g Podded Broad Beans
1 Lemon
4 Slices Rustic Bread
250g Podded Fresh Peas
Parsley
1 White Chicory
4 Eggs
1,5L Water
2 Vegetable Stock Cubes
Rock Sea Salt

Boil the water and make the stock by adding the cubes, blanch the broad beans in it quickly, then remove using a slotted spoon. Once cool, remove the white skin and keep the green beans on the side. Blanch the peas and put on the side. Slice the artichoke, leaving only the heart. Click here for a step by step guide on how to do this!

Clean and finely chop the spring onion, fry it in oil with 1 crushed garlic clove and the chopped chicory, and add the artichokes. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the peas and broad beans. Add salt, pepper and the stock, and cook for 20 minutes.

Toast the bread slices and scrub with garlic, cut them in smaller pieces and lay on the plates. Sprinkle with pepper and olive oil, then break an egg on top of them, carefully. Add some freshly chopped parsley to the soup, then spoon in the plates, trying not to break the egg. The soup has to be boiling hot in order to cook the egg!

Don’t be put off by this winter wonder, you’ll get all the help you need at Natoora…

Some people love chocolate. We love artichokes. They are one of the great things about winter and well worth trying this month. They come in all shapes, colours and sizes and are absolutely delicious.

Since you are unlikely to have seen these delights on the supermarket shelves, they might appear a bit daunting (especially the spiky variety!), so this week we thought we’d take the time to explain a bit more about these winter wonders…

The Good and The Bad: To check if the artichoke is good, it needs to be firm and not speckled, and the leaves well attached to the heart. The stalk also has to be firm.

The Heart of the Matter: There’s alot of peeling away to get to the tender heart, but it’s definitely worth the effort! See our recipe below for a step by step guide.

Bearded Beauties: Sometimes they have a “beard” inside the heart that needs to be removed before cooking with the help of a sharp knife.

Tender Hearts: The first 4 cm of the stalk is absolutely delicious so do not throw away, but make sure to remove the outer strings by scraping with a knife, or by peeling the outer part.

Storage: They will keep in a plastic bag in the fridge for 5-6 days. You can take out the outer leaves and cut the top, wash thoroughly, blanch in water with some lemon and freeze. Or see our artichoke preserving masterclass to make your own deli delights.

Recipe: Stewed Mammole Artichokes

Serves 4

8 Mammole Artichokes
1 Clove of Garlic
1 Lemon
2 Tbsp Chopped Mint
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
50g Breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp Chopped Parsley

This is how they do it Rome!

First you’ll need to prepare the artichokes.
1. Remove the tough outer leaves.
2. With a very sharp knige, cut the top so that you are left with the tender part only.
3. Cut the stalk leaving only 4cm.
4. Put the artichoke upside down and press it down with your hand so that the leaves will separate (you will need to stuff them later, this way you can access the center of the artichoke).
5. Put them in a bowl with cold water and the juice of a lemon (to prevent discolouration).

Now finely chop the garlic and mix with the chopped mint, parsley, breadcrumbs and a little olive oil. Drain the artichokes of excess water. Using a teaspoon, stuff the mix into the artichokes.

Heat some oil in a pan. Then put the artichokes in the pan, head side down. Lightly fry for a few minutes, and drizzle with olive oil. Add enough water to cover the first half of the artichoke, then add salt and cover.

After half an hour, check with a fork. If it’s tender, it’s ready! Serve immediately and drizzle with the juice from the pan. This is a fantastic accompaniment to meat, cheese or eggs.

We’re really proud of our fruit and veg selection at Natoora. Our range includes lots of must try items that you just won’t be able to find in the supermarkets. Here’s just a few of our favourites that are tasting great this month!

	Grumolo Grumolo is a tiny plant from the Radicchio family. Its leaves are thick yet amazingly tender, making it a fantastic addition to salads. The flavour is slightly bitter so try pairing it with some creamy boiled eggs. Grumolo Verde (pictured): Buy now Grumolo Rosso: Buy now
	Radicchio Castelfranco What a stunner! Not only does it look beautiful with its large yellow leaves and tiny red dots, but it tastes amazing too. These slightly bitter leaves will add a spectacular flavour to any salad. The larger leaves can also be blanched and then stuffed with ricotta and walnuts, or you can blanch the hearts and finish in the oven with some butter and parmesan for an amazing gratin. Radicchio Castelfranco: Buy now
	Cedro Our cedros are gigantic at the moment. They are an amazing perfumed citrus mainly used for the preperation of desserts, drinks and candied fruits. It’s got a very thick pith that can be eaten in salads (especially salads with fish!), marinated in its own juice. Cedro: Buy now
	Leafy Sicilian Oranges At the moment these are absolutely amazing! Ours are Tarocco oranges, the variety with the highest vitamin C content, because of the rich volcanic soil of Sicily where they are grown. Very large, full of juice and packed with sweetness, these are definitely worth a try this month. For more information, view our Real Food article. Leafy Sicilian Oranges: Buy now
	Spiky Artichoke This is the Sardinian Variety. The heart is very tender and it’s particularly good eaten raw, thinly sliced in salads or marinated with lemon juice. Spiky Artichokes: Buy now
	Mammole Artichoke The traditional artichoke from Rome, it’s amazing stuffed with a mixture of parsley, mint and garlic, then cooked upside down in a pot with some veg stock. Mammole Artichokes: Buy now

We’ll always let you know what’s tasting great in our weekly picks section. Check out this week’s picks by clicking here!

2 Sea Bass, cleaned and scaled, head and tail on, rinsed in cold water
4-6 Mammole Artichokes
1/2 Lemon (juiced)
4 tbsp Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
1 tsbp Fresh Rosemary

Heat the oven to 220°C. Trim the artichokes until you are left with the tender hearts, and rub with  lemon to prevent discolouring. Cut them in quarters lenghtways, and then in thin slices. Sprinkle with lemon juice.

Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl and set aside.

Place the fish on a baking tray, add the artichokes and 3/4 of the lemon and oil mixture. Sprinkle the rosemary over the fish. Stuff some of the artichokes inside the fish. Coat the fish with the remaining lemon and oil and cook for 20 minutes. Baste the fish and stir the artichokes, then cook for another 15-20 minutes.

Transfer the fish to a heated serving dish, trying not to break it (use two spatulas). Spread the artichokes around the fish, pour over all cooking juices and serve immediately.

We have plenty of delicate, luscious artichokes available this time of year. Depending on the variety you choose, they can be incredibly tender, even tender enough to eat raw. Of course they are more commonly found in the delicatessen, preserved in olive oil and flavourings. If you want to try this at home, we recommend using small French artichokes. Follow our easy step by step guide and you’ll have delicious preserved artichokes ready in 3 weeks…

1. Peel the darker outer leaves of the artichokes until you get to leaves which are 2/3 tender (they’ll be lighter in colour and only the tips will be dark). Chop the top so you are left only with the tender heart. Slice lengthways in 4 or 6 pieces according to size of the artichoke.

2. Boil some water and white wine vinegar in a pot (2 parts vinegar, 1 part water)  and scald the artichokes for 3 minutes. Drain and let dry and cool down.

3. Put in the glass jars with some salt, oregano and some garlic if you like. Some celery leaves from the heart give a lovely flavour too. Cover with extra virgin olive oil, close the jar and let it rest for at least 3 weeks.

We can’t get enough of these! Happy eating!