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Everything Artichoke!
by Patty Liston
 I would love to meet the man or woman who ever looked at the globe artichoke, with its thorn-tipped hard leaves, and thought, “You know, I bet I could eat that!” I don’t know how some foods come into our possession, but this is one instance that I’m glad they did. As a transplant from California, I grew up eating artichokes, its cooked tender leaves dipped in a variety of decadent sauces.
The artichoke made its way from North Africa, into the hands of the Dutch, who gave it to England. Even Henry VIII had artichokes in his garden. Today, good old California provides nearly 100% of the U.S. crop, with approximately 80 percent of it grown in Monterey County—the most famous city being Castroville, proclaimed “The Artichoke Center of the World”. All one has to do is drive through the fields to know that this is true.
Microwave Artichokes
 2 artichokes
Trim and halve artichokes.
Season with salt; place cut-side down in a bowl with some lemon wedges and thyme sprigs.
Pour in 1/3 cup each white wine and olive oil; cover and microwave 20 minutes.
Mix a bit of the cooking liquid with mayonnaise for a dipping sauce.
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Artichoke Salad
 2 (14-ounce) cans quartered artichoke hearts, drained
1/2 pound bowtie pasta, cooked and drained
1/2 cup, pitted and sliced black olives
4 sun-dried tomatoes, julienned
1 small red onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Toss all ingredients in a serving bowl and let rest, covered, in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving.
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Artichoke, Garlic and Potato Hash
Guy Fieri
Salt
8 medium fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 cipollini onions, peeled, sliced in half along equator
1 (15-ounce) jar artichokes, (not marinated), with stems, drained, roughly chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
5 garlic cloves, smashed
2 sprigs thymes, leaves chopped
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Chopped parsley leaves, for garnish
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium heat. Add the potatoes and cook until just tender. Drain and turn out onto a cutting board. Smash the potatoes with the side of a large knife or spatula.
Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When the pan is very hot, but not smoking, add the cipollini onions, and cook until starting to caramelize, about 4 to 5 minutes Add in the drained artichokes and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes before turning them so that they will caramelize. Add the potatoes and cook until the potatoes are starting to brown, then stir in the garlic and the thyme. Slowly pour in the chicken stock, scraping up the bits from the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with the vinegar and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary. Transfer to a platter and garnish with chopped parsley.
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