Local artichokes

You don't really think about artichokes as a crop that is typical of NY. That may be changing, the way things changed for apricots, as folks like Red Jacket Orchards started bringing their crop of artichokes to the NY farmers markets. Now, I can't think of a summer without local apricots. I save the pits, to crack them and use the "noyau" inside of them for cookies, custards, ice creams, and everything else.

Many years ago, I found one farmer, (Pfaffenroth Farms), who had artichokes. The patriarch of that farm told me it was "the first and last time" he would grow them, because "they are too damn hard to grow." And he kept his promise. He never had them again. I knew there was a second farmer who grew them, because in a local foods demo that Peter Hoffmann of Savoy gave, he served artichokes. I asked him where he had gotten them, and he said "not Pfaffenroth," and he wouldn't tell me where. (These days, he probably would).

Anyway, this year, I've seen about four or five farmers selling them. But I always go back to Muddy Rivers Farms, to get his. Are they better than others? I don't know. I like the owner, and I like the artichokes, and he's always good for a solid half hour or so of chat - whether you have the time or not.

Anyway, this year, he brought not only the full sized artichokes to the market, but small ones. Now, it's not really important to know this, but it's fun to know: the younger the artichoke plant, the smaller the artichoke it will grow. Those little tiny ones you see will never turn into bigger ones in a given year. Next year, the plant will make bigger ones, and I think it's 4-5 years before you get the globe ones that we're used to. When I saw his artichoke crop, I was about to get the big ones, until I saw the box of small ones. I didn't even ask what the cost was, I just scooped up a bag of them, paid for them, and brought them home.

With no clue of what I was going to do with them. So after they sat there in the fridge for three days, looking at me reproachfully, like the plant version of a bag of sardines, I said "OK. GET TO WORK."

It took a while, but I came up with something really good. I braised them. There is a technique of braising where oil and water are combined, and I've written about it before. It's really useful for something like artichokes, and for baby ones like this, it's really good.

One thing you have to keep in mind for baby artichokes. You may think that, because they're small, you will have very little waste. That's wrong. You still have to pull off the outer leaves, just like with the big ones. They will never get tender. And you also have to clip those sharp tips in order to avoid hurting yourself when you eat them. You don't have to go in and remove the "choke," because, while it's there, it's still soft and edible. And they will cook quickly.

This is a variation on a recipe from a wonderful book, called "Chez Panisse Vegetables." I really like it.

Take two pounds of baby artichokes, and get the tough leaves off of the outside of them. How far down do you go? It's a judgement call. I went down one layer, and probably could have gone down a second one, but it was "family" who were eating them, so I was good with that. Then cut away the sharp tips, and cut the artichokes in half. Put them in a bowl of water with some lemon juice or vinegar, to keep them from browning as you prep them.

When they're done, put them in a non reactive pot with a big clove of garlic that you've sliced into thin pieces, a few thyme sprigs, a big pinch of salt, a third of a cup of olive oil, a lemon, halved, and half a cup of water. Cover the pot tightly, bring the heat to medium and simmer for about ten minutes. Check by taking a knife to see if it goes through the artichoke. If it does, move on to the next step and if it doesn't, cook them some more.

When they're soft enough to pierce with that knife, uncover the pot, increase the heat, and cook down the liquid by about half. You'll see the liquid take on a grayish, opaque quality. This is going to be your sauce for these guys. I like to cut up the lemon, which will be soft , but you don't have to, and you can just discard it. Take out the thyme sprigs, and then let the artichokes come to room temperature.

Like I said, this is a "family" style dish, because as you eat it, you'll get bits that won't be digestible, and you'll put them to the side. But you know what? If the people you're eating with aren't "family," then you shouldn't be eating with them.