[Kleftiwallah]

Watched "Masterchef" last night and saw Mr Roux prepare a Globe artichoke 'correctly'.  It must be the vegetable with the least actual 'end product' as compared with what you start with.  

I haven't tasted globe artichoke and I don't intend to if it takes all that faffing about (after growing).

Cheers,   Tony.

[arugula]

I saw that too and thought "hm, might try that one day", but you can just boil the head bit whole with the outer leaves as these, apart from the very outermost ones, can be enjoyed too dipped in melted butter and the ends bitten off.

Don't worry about turning them, that's just another one of of M. Roux's techniques, like his "classic" recipes, I'd actually heard of that one.

If you've never tasted them, I'd suggest buying a jar of artichoke hearts and tasting them, the ones preserved in oil are good, but fresh from your own garden are even better.


I'd call prepping the sea urchin a waste of time in that one! 

[allotmentann]

If you think artichokes are bad have you seen what is involved for cardoons!   I am growing a few (artichokes) and hope I will be bothered to cook them when they are finally harvestable! Anyway Mr Roux also takes the outer skins off peas and broad beans - I won't be doing that either!

[compostqueen]

I take the outer skins off broad beans. They slip off easily so not exactly labour intensive 
It's that skin that tastes peculia,r I think, so I take it off

Klefti    If you've never tasted them, and don't intend to then why comment. Hardly worth the bother 

[Mrs Bee]

Haven't watched that one yet. Have that to come, when I get a minute.

It is glossy coffee table cookbook time watching the professional masterchef.  Have done a bit of it myself in the past.

I prepared and cooked a globe artichoke once, just so I could say that I had done it, but could be bothered to do it again. Prefer the ones in jars of oil.

I do love watching it tho'. I think Michel Roux is a born teacher and such an enthusiastic man. No foul language or shouting or humiliation of the contestants.

[allotmentann]

Mrs Ball I love watching Michel Roux too, his joy in food is palpable and he must be a lovely man as he has such happy wrinkles!

[angelavdavis]

Prepared baby artichokes from my plot this year (heard they were a. easier to prepare and b. more tasty).  The recipe included bacon, carrots, celery, onion... in fact anything that would make a stone palatable! The end result - my family ate everything except the artichokes!  I think I will have to abandon them as a crop (although they are useful against the English Channel winds!)

[Growster...]

I take the outer skins off broad beans. They slip off easily so not exactly labour intensive 
It's that skin that tastes peculia,r I think, so I take it off

Klefti    If you've never tasted them, and don't intend to then why comment. Hardly worth the bother 

I found that this works pretty well with ordinary purple runner bean seeds as well, CQ.

Boiled for 25 mins, and with a bit of a fiddly cut, probably from the seed-join side, (can't remember the correct term, sorry), the skins slip off easily, and they taste terrific with a little garlic mayonnaise and pepper!

It seems to take a long time, but so does preparing celeriac, or a kohl rabi slaw, and why not, especially if there's a tincture nearby...!

[Thrift]

I never watch any of the cheffy programmes now. It seems such a waste of time - all that prepping and then washing up.

Much prefer Hugh FW and his 'proper' food and down to earth approach. 

[Trillium]

Artichokes in themselves don't have a strong flavour but dressed up they can be very nice. And like with other veg, when it grows large, the outer leaves of artichokes get tough and must be taken off and the pointy ends trimmed. It's the inner part that's tender and tasty dipped in some melted butter.

If you're short on growing space, artichokes aren't the best plant as the yield per plant is rather small for the space they take.

[New shoot]

I think all the 'gourmet' veg are a bit of a labour of love, but I wouldn't be without my asparagus and seakale, even though they take up loads of space for the yield you get.

My globe artichokes perished in the snow a couple of winters ago before they really got going, so have some young plants overwintering in the greenhouse.  I reckon I'll try them before I decide whether they pass muster   

[arugula]

My globe artichokes perished in the snow a couple of winters ago before they really got going, so have some young plants overwintering in the greenhouse.  I reckon I'll try them before I decide whether they pass muster   

I think they have been well worth growing, and more to the point eating, this year.

[surbie100]

My ha'penny worth: I love love LOVE globe artichokes - the Committee are granting me a little extra strip of land when the blackthorn invasion gets dug out, and I plan on putting in some asparagus and some artichokes.

The are blissful when hot and dipped in garlic mayonnaise, especially if you take Growster's advice and have some tincture nearby...

[compostqueen]

Prepping of vegetables a waste of time!  This is an allotment grow your own site unless I'm much mistaken.  I spend most of my life prepping veg and washing up    My veg inspire all my meals I'm pleased to say. I do agree though that Hugh FW is a very good advocate for fresh veg cooking, as is Jamie. They are not the only ones though

[Growster...]

I learned from a good friend, luckily very early on, that some food was all a matter of texture.

It's the crunch, the aftertaste, the feel, and, veg like celeriac do just that, as does salsify etc., when prepared properly, in our case here, in the raw, not Mr and Mrs Growster standing there stark naked with a huge knife, but with these exquisite veg just being shown a plate and told - get on with it!

Then add a bit of whatever you fancy...

Just to confuse everyone, I reckon pickled walnuts are a dream for a good Xmonius ...