Artichokes

The globe artichoke is a flower with several layers – green outer petals, purple inner petals, a hairy, inedible ‘choke’ and a tender heart. The edible parts are the heart, stem centre and base of the petals. The heart is also available canned in brine or marinated in oil.

Buying
Look for small to medium-sized bright, heavy artichokes with tightly closed leaves and a fresh-looking stem.

Nutrition
Artichokes are a rich source of soluble fibre, which helps maintain blood glucose
levels and bowel health. They’re also high in vitamin K, vitamin C and folate.

Storage
Refrigerate artichokes in a plastic bag for up to one week.

Preparation, cooking, eating
Use stainless steel when preparing or cooking fresh artichokes, as aluminium and iron cause discolouration. Remove outer petals. Slice off the top third of the artichoke to expose the centre. Rub cut surfaces with lemon juice. Boil for 30 minutes or until base is tender. Remove a petal. Dip white base in sauce (optional). Place in mouth and pull through closed teeth to remove flesh. Discard petal. Repeat. Remove and discard the choke. Scoop out the edible heart.

Artichoke, bean & feta salad

Preparation Time - 30 minutes
Cooking Time  - 17 minutes

Ingredients (serves 8)

• 8 globe artichokes
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 x 500g pkt frozen broad beans, thawed, peeled
• 350g green beans, topped, tailed
• 60ml (1/4 cup) olive oil
• 2 tbs fresh lemon juice, extra
• 1 tbs tahini (sesame paste)
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 200g feta cheese, crumbled

Method

• Trim each artichoke stem to 3cm. Peel away the 2 layers of outer leaves (or until the base of leaves are yellow/green in colour). Cut each artichoke in half and remove choke (furry part) near base of leaves. Place in a large bowl of water and add lemon juice.
• Cook broad beans and green beans in a large saucepan of salted boiling water, uncovered, for 7 minutes or until tender. Drain and refresh under cold running water. Drain well. Place in a large bowl and set aside until required.
• Drain artichokes and cook in a large saucepan of salted boiling water, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until tender when pierced with a skewer in the thickest part. Drain and refresh under cold running water. Add to the bowl with the green beans and broad beans.
• Combine the olive oil, extra lemon juice, tahini and garlic in a small bowl. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
• To serve, place the artichoke, green beans and broad beans on serving plates. Top with the crumbled feta and drizzle with the tahini dressing.

Notes & tips
Note: You can prepare this recipe to the end of step 3 up to 6 hours ahead. Place in an airtight container and store in the fridge. Continue from step 4 just before serving.