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Artichoke lover's guide By Jan Roberts for the Mail Tribune Apr 15, 2020 12:00 AM A A Having grown up in the San Francisco Bay Area, with Watsonville — the Artichoke Capital of the World — just to our south, artichokes were a common offering around the dinner table. So for us, they weren’t considered fancy or complicated. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t special. They aren’t a high-maintenance vegetable. Indeed, artichokes transcend the need for trendy treatment, exuding gobs of style just in the process of being. The beautiful shape. That rich green color. The way you have to slowly pluck one, leaf by leaf, to reach its succulent center. For dipping purposes, you’ve got your mayonnaise or melted butter, or maybe just a light vinaigrette. But that’s all you really need to wow a roomful of guests. This is the time of year when they’re becoming more plentiful and affordable. Just make sure quality is good. In order to pick the absolute freshest, administer my squeeze-and-squeak test: Using both hands, bring one to your ear and gently press around the circumference with your fingers; a truly fresh artichoke will emit a delicate little squeak. My preferred method for cooking artichokes is in a deep pot, with a little bit of water and a lid. Which leads to my preferred method for eating: Just one petal at a time. Various dips add to the experience, of course. So I thought it would be fun to provide you with some of my favorite sidekicks. From a simple mayonnaise to an elegant dungeness crab dip, I like them all, so you choose the level of effort you want to put into the process and go from there. Happy spring, and bon appetit. How to cook a ‘choke Rinse it thoroughly, then trim the stem, leaving about 1/2 inch (you can leave more, it’s up to you, but in some pots it interferes with the lid). Now move to the other end where all the tips of the leaves converge into one big tip; cut away about 1/2-inch from this pointy end, creating a flat surface. Some people suggest trimming about half an inch from the tip of each individual leaf as well (you would accomplish this with kitchen shears). For one thing, it looks pretty, and it’s a dandy way to impress a date. But beyond aesthetics, this is a good idea if the particular variety of artichoke you’re working with has razor-sharp spines protruding from the leaf. Place the artichokes in a pot, stem-end up, and add enough water to submerge the lower third of the vegetable. To the water add 5 or 6 cloves of coarsely chopped fresh garlic, 5 or 6 peppercorns (if you have them), a 1/4-inch thick slice of fresh lemon (outer peel and innards), and about 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Feel free to add some fresh herbs while you’re at it; I like lemon thyme and oregano, for example. At this point, you can simply crank up the heat, cover the pot, and cook the artichoke until it’s tender, which takes anywhere from 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the veggie (check the water level during the last few minutes; it may be necessary to add more hot water). To test for doneness, take a sharp, pointy object, such as the tines of a fork or a cake tester, and prod the stem end. If you can easily insert the fork, the artichoke is done. If you don’t trust yourself with this method, grab a pair of tongs, retrieve an artichoke from the pot, and try to pluck one of the leaves from the main body. If it comes out without a fight, and the meaty portion is nice and tender when you bite into it, then it’s done. That’s it. You’ve cooked an artichoke, so be proud. Preferred sauces for dipping are mayonnaise, melted butter, any number of simple vinaigrettes (bottled or otherwise), or even equal parts mayonnaise and wine vinegar. The latter is actually my favorite approach, both for the flavor and for the fact that I’m moderating my mayonnaise intake considerably that way. Variations on the mayonnaise theme From one of my favorite produce-cookery books, “Greene on Greens,” by the late Bert Greene, here are three wonderful artichoke dips. Green Mayonnaise: Blend together 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill (or chives, or tarragon) with 1-1/2 cups mayonnaise. Tomato Mayonnaise: Peel, seed and mince 1 large tomato. Place it in a saucepan with 1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil, 1/4 teaspoon sugar and 1/4 cup chicken broth, and simmer over medium heat until very, very thick. Cool, and combine with 2 tablespoons sour cream and 1 cup mayonnaise. Curry Mayonnaise: Add 2 tablespoons curry powder, 1 teaspoon turmeric, and 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar to 1-1/2 cups mayonnaise. Stir in 2 teaspoons rinsed capers. Artichoke Mayonnaise Makes about 2 cups I like to serve artichokes as an appetizer. It’s an informal approach: simply cook two or three beautiful artichokes, then place them on the buffet table along with a couple of simple dips. This zesty artichoke-infused mayonnaise compliments the wholesome, unadorned flavor in the cooked vegetable. 1 (6- 1/2 ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained (reserve 2 tablespoons marinade) 1 cup mayonnaise 3 parsley sprigs In a food processor or blender, combine the marinated artichoke hearts, reserved marinade, mayonnaise and parsley and blend until smooth. Cover and chill until ready to use. Recipe from “The Big Book of Potluck,” by Maryana Vollstedt. Cobbled Crab Dressing for Artichokes 1 cup good quality mayonnaise 1/2 cup sour cream 1/2 cup cooked Dungeness crabmeat 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill 1 tablespoon minced shallots 1 teaspoon lime juice Dash of hot pepper sauce (like Tabasco) Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Whisk together the mayonnaise and sour cream. Stir in the crab, dill, shallots, lime juice, hot pepper sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Chill thoroughly before serving. Makes about 1-2/3 cups. Adapted from “Greene on Greens,” by Bert Greene. Creamy Parmesan & Peppercorn Dressing 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup buttermilk 1/4 cup sour cream 3 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar, or to taste 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, or to taste 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Salt to taste Whisk together the mayonnaise, Parmesan, buttermilk, sour cream, vinegar, Dijon mustard and black pepper. Taste for seasoning, adding salt if necessary, along with additional mustard, pepper or vinegar, if desired. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to develop and meld. Steve’s Blue Cheese Vinaigrette The recipe was inspired by the House Dressing at Burton’s in downtown Corvallis. They never gave Steve (my hubby) their recipe (he never had the temerity to ask), but he just kept tasting and testing in our kitchen until he believed he achieved success. It’s truly wonderful with artichokes. 1 cup diced (1/4-inch cubes) red onion 4 to 6 ounces (or more) of your favorite blue cheese (Steve prefers Treasure Cave), more as needed About 2/3 cup red wine vinegar, more as needed About 1/3 cup vegetable oil (such as corn or canola), more as needed About 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Place the onions in a bowl. Crumble in about 4 ounces of the blue cheese, then gently stir in the vinegar and vegetable oil. At this point, you may have to add additional oil, vinegar or blue cheese to reach a consistency that hovers between a vinaigrette and a creamy dressing. Steve prefers a higher ratio of blue cheese, so he inevitably adds more at this point, whereas I prefer it to be more vinegary. Now add the pepper. It may seem like a lot, but it really is delicious. The dressing should be prepared the night before serving, so the onions have a chance to marinate. It will keep in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks. Yields about 2-1/2 cups dressing. Balsamic Vinaigrette This dressing is based on one of Gathering Together Farm’s vinaigrettes from many years ago. 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 2 teaspoons honey 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon soy sauce or Kikkoman Tempura sauce 1/2 teaspoon black bean garlic sauce (available in the Asian food section of most supermarkets) Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil Combine vinegars, honey, mustard, tempura sauce, black bean sauce, salt and pepper. Add olive oil. Adjust seasonings. Makes 2 cups. Maryanna’s Blue Cheese Dressing This is a wonderful blue cheese dressing, compliments of Eugene-based cookbook author Maryanna Vollstedt. 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup buttermilk 1/4 cup sour cream 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 1/4 teaspoon dried mustard 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon white pepper 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese In small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, sour cream and vinegar. Add the mustard, salt and pepper and whisk again. Stir in the blue cheese. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to develop and meld. Makes about 1-2/3 cups. Jan Roberts-Dominguez is a Corvallis food writer, artist and author of “Oregon Hazelnut Country, the Food, the Drink, the Spirit,” and four other cookbooks. Email her at [email protected], or see her blog at www.janrd.com.