I admire the form and beauty of the artichoke flower. I find it to be fascinating and a little mysterious. the artichoke plant in my vegetable garden is producing flower at the moment.  Last year was the first time I grew, and the first time I cooked them. I was a little stumped by how to do so. I consulted my trusty Stephanie Alexander The Cook’s Companion to find out how to go about it and made a number of recipes that showcased the beautiful flavor. 

I have to say that for the space the plant takes up, and the amount of the actual flower used, really irks me! I feel like I am wasting most of the plant – or I have completely misunderstood the cooking guidelines!?

I checked the cooking notes a few times and ended trying to eat the outer leaves and the fluffy core that surrounds the base after they were cooked to see if I had understood correctly. I found both to be unpleasant in texture and lacking in taste. 

So moving on from my wastage issues, this is  lovely vegetarian dish incorporating the fresh flavors of Spring/Summer.

My artichokes are not quite ready to start harvesting so I collected some gorgeous fresh ones from the farmers market last weekend to make this recipe. The onions I used were the first of this seasons crop from my garden and were delicate and sweet. I am looking forward to harvesting the remainder of the crop in the next couple of weeks and making some Onion Chutney with them.

Caramelized Onion and Artichoke Tart

 

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Prep time

40 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

1 hour

 

Author: Kyrstie Barcak - A Fresh Legacy

Recipe type: Main

Cuisine: Vegetarian

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 3 small red onions- sliced thinly
• 1 tablespoon of oil
• 2 teaspoon of brown sugar
• 2 artichokes - outer leaves removed and base trimmed
• salt to add to water
• zest of 1 lemon
• 80-100 grams of cherry tomatoes, or sliced tomatoes
• salt and pepper to season
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 - 2 piece of puff pastry - defrosted (depending on pan size used)

Instructions

1. Put the sliced onions into a wide based (or large) saucepan with the oil and cover to cook on a gently heat for 20 minutes, check and stir occasionally
2. Uncover after 20 minutes and add the sugar then stir often for a further 5-10 minutes (approximately) until the onion thickens and becomes a golden brown
3. While the onions are cooking - Set a large pot of water to boil and add a generous pinch of salt
4. Place the trimmed artichokes into the boiling water and place a small plate on top of them to keep them submerged
5. Turn on the oven to heat to 170 degrees
6. Boil the artichokes for 15 minutes and then remove with a slotted spoon. Test for readiness with a skewer by poking it into the base, there should be minimal resistance
7. Once cool enough to handle cut the artichokes into quarters and slice off the leaves - except the area close to the base. Cut out the hairy middle section to be discarded
8. Line a pie or slice dish with pastry
9. Slice the base of the artichoke into pieces and add it to the bottom of a pie dish and top with the lemon zest
10. Add the cherry tomatoes on top of the artichoke pieces and then spoon the caramelized onion evenly around the top
11. Season with salt and pepper and the rosemary leaves
12. Place on the middle shelf of the oven and cook using the fan forced option for 15 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and crispy
13. Turn the oven function to cook the base of the tart for a further 5 minutes
14. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes then remove from the dish
15. Serve with a salad or vegetables

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I would love to hear how you cook artichokes as my first flower has appeared so I will be looking for inspiration and other ways to cook this lovely vegetable over the coming months.