Summer Artichoke Recipes
We're entering the summer season and the greens are looking quite fresh in the produce aisles! Surely the unique-looking artichokes may have caught your eye, but you may be wondering how to eat this prickly looking bud. You can get them both fresh as a bud, canned, or marinated in a jar! Here are some recipes you can try for the upcoming summer grilling season!
Grilled Artichokes
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs such as rosemary, oregano, thyme
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, cut in half (no need to peel)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
- 2 to 4 large globe artichokes
- Salt
Instructions
- Place chopped fresh herbs in a small bowl (not the bay leaf), and cover with olive oil. Microwave on high heat for 30 seconds (or heat the oil and herbs on the stovetop until warm). Let the herbs steep in the warm olive oil while you prepare the artichokes.
- Prepare a large pot with an inch of water at the bottom. Add the cut cloves of garlic and the bay leaf, and place a steamer rack in the pot.
- To prepare the artichokes, have lemon wedges ready. If you want a nice presentation, use scissors to snip away the pointy tips of the artichoke leaves. As you trim the artichokes, rub the cut areas with juice from the lemon wedges to prevent the artichokes from turning brown from oxidation.
- Use a vegetable peeler to cut away the thick outer layer of the artichoke stems. Trim the stems to 2 inches from the base of the artichoke. Cut off and discard the top 1/2 inch of the artichokes. Cut the artichokes in half.
- Use a strong metal spoon to scoop out the fuzzy chokes and the small inner artichoke leaves. Rub lemon juice all over the inside and exposed cut areas of the artichokes.
- Heat the water in the large pot with a steamer rack on high. When it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-high and place the artichoke halves, cut side down on the steam rack.
- Cover and steam for 20 minutes (less or more, depending on the size of the artichokes), until you can easily pull off the outer leaves, and you can pierce the heart easily with a knife. The artichokes can be just a tiny bit less cooked than would be typically perfect for steamed artichokes, as you will be cooking them further on the grill.
- Prepare your grill for direct, high heat. Use a pastry brush to brush the artichoke all over with the herb-infused oil. Sprinkle all over with salt.
- Place the artichoke halves cut-side-down on the grill grates. Cover, and grill for 5 to 10 minutes, until you have nice grill marks on the cut sides of the artichokes.
- To serve, sprinkle the cut sides with more lemon juice. Serve alone or with mayonnaise, remoulade, or aioli.
Lemony Artichoke and Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 fresh lemon
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp salt
- freshly cracked pepper
- 1 13oz. can quartered artichoke hearts*
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 15oz. can chickpeas
*You can use artichoke hearts in water or oil, with or without herbs.
Instructions
- Rinse the quinoa well in a fine wire mesh sieve. Place the rinsed quinoa in a pot with 1.75 cups water. Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat on to high, and allow the water to come to a boil. Once it reaches a full boil, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 15 minutes (lid on).
- While the quinoa is cooking, prepare the lemon garlic dressing. Zest the lemon, then squeeze the juice (you'll need 1/4 to 1/3 cup juice). Add the lemon juice and 1 tsp of the zest to a bowl or jar along with the olive oil, minced garlic, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper (10-15 cranks of a pepper mill). Whisk the ingredients together or close the jar and shake until they are combined. Set the dressing aside.
- After the quinoa has cooked, spread it out into a casserole dish or other wide shallow dish and refrigerate uncovered for about 15 minutes to cool it down.
- While the quinoa is cooling, prepare the rest of the salad ingredients. Drain the artichoke hearts and roughly chop them into smaller pieces. Finely dice the red bell pepper. Roughly chop the parsley. Rinse and drain the chickpeas. Place the artichoke hearts, bell pepper, parsley, and chickpeas in a large bowl.
- Once the quinoa has cooled, add it to the bowl with the other salad ingredients. Toss gently to combine, then drizzle the lemon garlic dressing over top. Gently toss again until everything is coated in dressing. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 4-5 days.
Italian Marinated Artichoke Salad
Ingredients
Marinated Artichoke Salad:
- 1 cup grape tomatoes (halved)
- 4 cups arugula (packed)
- 1 1/2 cups marinated artichoke hearts (cut into bite size pieces)
- 1/2 cup roasted red peppers (cut into bite size strips)
- 1/4 cup red onions (optional, cut into thin 1/4 moons)
Italian Dressing:
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine all the salad ingredients.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients, until emulsified.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.
- Enjoy!
Head over to your nearest Market Basket to put together these awesome recipes!