Volume 10, Issue 060 - March 24, 2006

TGIF ,

I would like to thank the fine folks at the California Artichoke Advisory Board for their contribution to this week's Foodservice Daily Newsletter. Artichokes are available year round and their versatility makes them a good choice for your menu or dinner table. We hope you learned some good tips for purchasing and preparing them this week.

Next week we will talk about another springtime taste treat, Asparagus. Have a great weekend, You deserve it!

The Basics:

Availability:

Twelve months a year with peaks in spring and fall.

Purchasing:

Spring - Select compact, rounded artichokes with a soft green color.

Summer/Fall - Select conical, slightly flared buds.

"Winter-kissed" - Outside leaves may be bronzed due to frost. Look for tender green on the inside of petals.

Specifications:

All sizes are mature and sold in 22- to 24-pound cases with a count size per case: #18 and #24 (large); #36 and #48 (medium); #60 and #72 (small); large and small loose (baby).

Storage:

Do not wash. Refrigerate at 32 to 34 degrees F.

Preparation:

Wash under cold, running water. Pull off lower petals and cut off stems. Slice off top quarter and trim petal tips, if desired. Dip in acidified water to preserve color.

Cooking Method:

Boil - Plunge into boiling, salted water. (Add 1 ounce lemon juice per quart, small amount olive oil and fresh herbs, to taste.) Return to boil; reduce heat and simmer 25 to 40 minutes, depending on size, or until petal near center pulls out easily. Invert to drain.

Steam - Place on rack over 1-1/2 inches boiling water. Sprinkle generously with salt. Cover and cook 25 to 40 minutes. Test for doneness as above.

http://artichokes.org/

Pepper-Passion Elegant Salt & Pepper Mills handcrafted from rare & exotic tropical hardwoods. See the Aphrodite Pepper Mill. Gourmet Sea Salts and Peppercorns.

Baby Artichoke Calvados Sauté

Makes 24 servings

Ingredients:

10 pounds California artichokes, small 4 to 5 per serving, depending on size
6 pounds pork loin scallops
1 pound 8 ounces clarified butter
3 pounds apple slices with peel, bite size
10 ounces green onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
4 tablespoons sage leaves, chopped
12 ounces Calvados or apple brandy
chicken stock as needed
salt to taste
sage springs for garnish

Preparation:

Wash artichokes. Remove outer leaves from baby artichokes until pale green leaves appear, trim stems and top quarter. Cut into halves and dip in acidified water to preserve color. Set aside.

Individual Servings:

Sauté 4 ounces pork scallops in 1 ounce butter until lightly browned, remove from pan and hold warm. Place 8 to 10 artichokes halves in pan and sauté 5 minutes. Add apples and cook until just tender. Add onions, garlic, sage and Calvados, toss together 1 minute. Add chicken stock to moisten. Season to taste with salt. Arrange pork scallops on heated serving plate with Baby Artichoke Calvados Sauté. Garnish with sage sprig.

http://artichokes.org/

Freezing Artichokes

Artichokes can be frozen after cooking, but not raw. Uncooked, they will turn brown upon thawing and taste pretty awful.

Method #1:

To prepare artichokes for freezing one problem must be overcome. That is to penetrate the center so they need not be cooked completely, but rather blanched.

To accomplish this, cut the stem off, cut off the top 1 inch or so, hollow out the center by smashing the thorny end against a counter top and scoop out the flower portions with a sturdy sharp spoon. Pour on lemon juice to help prevent browning. Drill a small hole in the base to help heat penetration.

Bring your water to a boil and along with your artichokes add more lemon juice, which is essential to prevent any bad discoloration. Hold the water temperature to just under a boil for 20 minutes. Remove and place in cool water to lower temperature. Drain and freeze. Place in plastic freezer bags to reduce freezer burn.

Hopefully, this will be enough cooking to arrest the enzyme system but not enough to cause the artichokes to come apart.

Upon thawing, the artichokes should be cooked an additional 25 minutes or so.

Method #2:

Trim tops from artichokes. Rub cut surfaces with lemon.

Cook artichoke "al dente" in water flavored with lemon juice.

Drain upside down thoroughly. Place upside down on tray and freeze quickly in coldest part of the freezer. When frozen, place in plastic bags for storage.

To thaw and cook: Wrap each artichoke in aluminum foil, sealed tightly. Place on rack above boiling water. Cover and steam until hot and cooked through.

http://artichokes.org/

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Artichoke Napoleon

Makes 24 appetizer or 8 main dish servings

Ingredients:

24 large (24-count) California artichokes
2 lemons, sliced
2 heads garlic, peeled
salt and pepper
flour
clarified butter or oil
2 1/2 pounds Mushroom Duxelle (recipe follows)
5 cups Tomato Coulis (recipe follows)
sliced chives and lemon zest garnish
24 mushroom caps, fluted, optional

Preparation:

To prepare the Artichokes:

Trim all the dark green parts from the artichokes leaving the base and the inner, light green leaves. Slice top of leaves to about 1/2 inch above base. Cut the stem level with the base. Cook artichokes in boiling salted water with the lemon and garlic until tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove from water and cool. Remove tender yellow leaves from artichokes, set aside. Remove and discard any purple leaves or fuzz from the center of artichokes. Slice the artichoke bottoms crosswise into three even disks. Salt and pepper artichoke disks and the reserved leaves, dredge in flour. In skillet, cook artichoke disks and leaves in hot butter or oil until golden brown. Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels.

To assemble each Napoleon:

Place an artichoke disk on plate, top with layer of Mushroom Duxelle. Add another artichoke disk, another layer of Mushroom Duxelle and top with final artichoke disk. Place one stack on each plate for an appetizer or three stacks for main dish. Surround stack(s) with Tomato Coulis and garnish with browned artichoke leaves, chives, lemon zest and fluted mushroom cap, as desired.

Mushroom Duxelle

Ingredients:

3 pounds crimini or portobello mushrooms
2 ounces clarified butter
3 tablespoons chopped shallots
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon white truffle oil

Preparation:

Finely chop mushrooms with a knife. Heat butter in large skillet, add shallots and garlic, cook two minutes. Add chopped mushrooms. Cook over high heat until dry. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in truffle oil.

Tomato Coulis

Ingredients:

12 cups chopped ripe tomatoes
2 ounces clarified butter
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 cup white wine

Preparation:

In a nonreactive saucepan, heat butter. Add shallots and garlic, cook two minutes. Add wine and tomatoes. Boil rapidly until tomatoes are soft. Purée mixture and press through sieve. Return mixture to saucepan and reduce to approximately 5 cups or until mixture coats a spoon. Season to taste.

Source: Executive Chef Bob Williamson, Quail Lodge, Carmel Valley, California

Courtesy California Artichoke Advisory Board