compost, and manure. Extra nitrogen should be added halfway through the growing season and after the harvest. The plants need to be dug up and thinned every three or four years.
Aphids, earwigs, and snails are sometimes a problem. In commercial artichoke-growing areas the plume moth is a problem treated with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) applied to the center of the plants when they’re moist.
To harvest artichokes, cut off the young buds about 4–6 inches (10–15 cm) below the bud (the tops of the stems are edible if peeled) before they start to open. The younger the bud, the more tender it is and the more of it is edible. The small lateral buds are also edible and if harvested while young have no choke. An unseasonable frost can brown the outer leaves of artichokes but improves the flavor.
VARIETIES
Many regions of Italy seem to have their own varieties, but few are available to outsiders. The three described below are the only ones readily available in America.
Green Globe: most common variety grown in the United States, large conical shape, hardy throughout most of the coastal West, most available variety sold as bare root plants
Imperial Star: 90–100 days from transplants, thornless, sweet flavor, meaty hearts and almost chokeless, easiest to grow from seed and harvest the first season
Violetto: produces purple medium-size artichokes, cooking more than two minutes turns them green
HOW TO PREPARE: Artichokes are rich and sweet flavored, with a meaty texture, and the flavors stimulate salivation. Elsewhere, the bud is usually served whole, but in Italy young buds are often cut into pieces or pureed.
Most mature and commercial artichokes must have the choke (fuzzy, inedible center) removed. Homegrown ones, however, similar to those available in Italy, can be harvested while still young and be eaten without removing the choke.
To prepare an artichoke, cut the top inch or so off to remove any thorns and the inedible top part of the “leaves.” You can leave 4–6 inches (10–15 cm) of the stem and peel it to remove the tough outer skin. Then with your fingers peel back the outside layer of leaves to where they break readily, revealing yellowish flesh at the base. Open the artichoke; if there is a fuzzy choke at the bottom, scrape it out with a sharp spoon. Immediately rub all cut edges with lemon juice (or soak them in acidulated water until you are ready to serve or cook the artichoke).
Whole artichokes can be stuffed and baked, steamed, or boiled in water with the juice of two lemons. In Rome they are sometimes braised in olive oil, garlic, and mint and served upside down with 4–6 inches (10–15 cm) of stem sticking up in the air. In all cases artichokes are cooked until a knife inserted into the bottom of the choke comes out clean. They can be presented whole, and can be accompanied with plain or flavored olive oil for dipping. To eat a whole artichoke, pull off the outside leaves and use your teeth to scrape out the flesh. Cut the remaining heart, or bottom, into bite-size pieces and relish it.
Artichokes
In Italy artichokes are also incorporated into many cooked dishes. Very young and tender buds are lightly trimmed and used whole or cut up. If the bud is more mature, the outside leaves and tough outer material is removed, the meaty center is quartered, and the choke is removed. Cut-up pieces are then cooked with other vegetables such as asparagus, fava beans, or peas and served as a side dish (as they do in Sicily) or combined with tomatoes and served over pasta (as is popular in many parts of southern Italy). Morsels of artichokes are added to pizza; combined with marjoram, parsley, and garlic in frittatas; incorporated into risotto and pasta sauces; and included in a creamy tart of puff pastry (as they serve it in Genoa); or pureed and made into a spread for bread or folded into soufflés. When fried whole, artichokes can be flattened out to look like a star and then fried again, as is done in the Jewish Quarter of Rome.
Young, tender artichokes are a treat when eaten raw. Pieces are dipped in olive oil as part of an antipasto; in pinzimonio, raw artichokes are sliced paper thin and served in olive oil, salt, and pepper.
ARUGULA
(rucola) Eruca vesicaria
RUSTIC ARUGULA
(rucola selvatica, wild arugula)
E. selvatica
(Diplotaxis tenuifolia)
Arugula leaves are lobed, pungent, and nutty and taste a bit like horseradish. The most common arugula is the domesticated milder one; however, there is another, usually called rustic arugula, that is perennial and has a more intense flavor.
HOW TO GROW: The standard arugula is grown in cool weather in early spring and again in the fall. The plants are short-lived; they get quite spicy and will go to seed in hot weather. Rustic arugula is a tender perennial, that, if started in spring and kept cut back, grows throughout the summer and fall and even winters over in mild-winter areas. Common arugula is planted in the fall for a winter harvest in these same mild climates. For both types, broadcast seeds over rich soil in a sunny area of the garden and lightly cover them with soil, or plant them in flats for transplanting into the garden. In cold climates, in the fall, plant common arugula in a cold frame or green house for winter salads. For succulent growth keep arugula well watered and fertilize lightly. Both arugulas have few pest and disease problems. Harvest individual leaves or cut back the plant and leave a few inches of growth for a cut-and-come-again crop. Common arugula comes back more quickly than the rustic one. Arugula flowers attract beneficial insects, so I keep them blooming for much of the spring. If allowed to go to seed, both arugulas reseed readily in your garden and behave as “wild greens.”
VARIETIES
Arugula: 40 days, lobed green leaves, plants grow to 1 foot (0.3 m) tall, white flowers
Wild Rustic Arugula (Italian wild arugula, Sylvetta): 55 days, finely cut leaves, plants grow to 8 inches (20 cm), yellow flowers
HOW TO PREPARE: When only 2 or 3 inches (5 or 8 cm) tall, and still very mild, arugula leaves can be used in fairly large amounts to add a peppery and nutty flavor to a mixed green salad, misticanza, or a bread salad. Combine them with other assertive greens, especially the fall and winter ones, like chicories and mustards, and complement them with strong cheeses, capers, prosciutto, anchovies, olives, and fruit. Sprinkle young leaves of arugula over a plate of carpaccio or sliced tomatoes and serve with paper-thin fennel drizzled with olive oil, or put them in a sandwich instead of lettuce. Boiled potatoes dressed with olive oil and garlic and sprinkled with arugula and other herbs make a wonderful dish.
Arugula
Parboiled arugula can be sautéed with anchovies, garlic, and olive oil or combined with cooked white beans and served over pasta. Arugula leaves can be added to pizzas, frittatas, and soups. When the leaves become more pungent, use arugula sparingly as an herb in a mixed salad, sauce, or dressing. Long after the leaves have become too strong to use, the flowers are great in salads or as a garnish.
