Artichoke Bruschetta

Having passed my viva in November, I'm turning over a new leaf - or perhaps simply reclaiming old habits - to discuss good tucker again! Which starts with what's in my fridge at the moment: artichokes. I could eat them by the bucketload. I stare enviously at them in WholeFoods and other supermarkets I can't afford. I sometimes pick them up and wonder what life would be like if I could casually splash out and lay down big bucks for these crinkly green beauties. In my imaginary life I'd have a dog too. And heck, a car parking space. And a garden. I'm living the London dream.

Easy to oxidise once cut, easy to prick a finger on, and very easy to dip into a plate swimming in vinaigrette, artichokes are a big favourite in the springtime- especially in Rome. Which is why I cooked the handful of artichokes I had alla romana, Roman-style. Rachel Roddy has a fantastic recipe on her blog, here: https://racheleats.wordpress.com/2013/02/06/against-the-strain-of-modern-life/ 

Ingredients:

5-6 artichokes

1 lemon

2 tbsp both mint and parsley, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

Salt and pepper

Extra-virgin olive oil

A wineglass of white wine

Method:

1) Prepare your artichokes by trimming them back, removing the tough green flesh and rubbing with lemon to prevent oxidisation (I refer you to Roddy's blogpost, which has some excellent instructions on how to do this!) I bought mine ready-trimmed in the market and only needed to lop a few outer leaves and chop off the long stems..

2) Combine the mint, parsley and garlic in a bowl along with a generous pinch of salt and pepper and lug of olive oil. Peel open the 'bud' of the artichokes and press in a dessertspoon of the herb mixture as best you can. Place the artichokes face down in a skillet, or heavy bottom pan- you want them to be snug in there.

3) To the skillet with the artichokes, add the remains of the lemon, cut into chunks, along with the wine and enough water to come about a third of the way up the artichokes. Cover with foil and simmer gently for about 30-40 minutes until cooked through.

Now, it's hard not to sit down and eat the artichokes the minute that they're done, with a squeeze of lemon and a liberal drizzle of olive oil. I did this! I recommend it! But if, like me, you also find that the cooled artichokes leave a little something to be desired (read: soft), why not pulse them up in a food processor and make delicious bruschetta or a pasta sauce? 

For the bruschetta:

Sourdough bread, sliced to your desired thickness

Garlic clove

Cooled cooked artichokes

Extra virgin olive oil

Parsley

Mint

Lemon

Parmesan/Pecorino Romano

1) Bash the garlic clove and rub it onto the bread. Toast either under the grill with a touch of olive oil, or whack it in the oven on a baking tray to crisp up.

2) With the toast on the go, roughly chop 1-2 cooked artichokes and blitz them to a smooth/rough consistency, as preferred, along with a few sprigs of parsley and mint, in a food processor. A drizzle of oil will help loosen the mixture.

3) When the bread is done, liberally spread with the artichoke mixture, leaving the surface a little rocky. Squeeze over some lemon, and a liberal grating of Parmesan/Pecorino Romano. Finish with another drizzle of olive oil.

I'm going to make a pasta sauce next, by frying a minced clove of garlic in olive oil, stirring in the blitzed artichokes and swirling in some cream. Don't forget the Parmesan and lots of black pepper- maybe a scant grating of nutmeg? Ooh, why not!