"The" Food for Spring
Tomb art of the ancient Etruscans reveals their
probable use in daily diets. Gardens of both the
poor and wealthy Romans included them as an
important vegetable. The French and Italians
introduced them into America in the early 1800’s.
And, they were recently featured by the San
Francisco Chronicle as “the” food for spring. This
fresh produce delicacy is the artichoke!
Artichokes are available year-round from California
and during the winter from Mexico. When selecting
them at your retail or farm market, look for an
artichoke that is heavy for its size, compact, and
firm with soft green color. Shape and color will
vary somewhat, depending on the variety and the
season. During the spring, artichokes will be
globe-shaped; during the summer and fall they will
be more conical with slightly flared petals. Keep
artichokes in the refrigerator for best quality.
Artichokes are an important addition, as are
vegetables, to your menu. One medium artichoke
provides 28% of the daily value for dietary fiber,
and 25% of vitamin C. All of this while
contributing zero calories from fat and zero percent
of the daily value for total fat and cholesterol.
Not bad for something that is often not on the
dinner table because of consumer’s unfamiliarity
with how to prepare them.
Here are a couple of “kid-tested” recipes:
Baked Artichokes – Cut off bottoms and about one
inch off the tops. Rinse, cut lengthwise into
eighths, and place in a baking pan drizzled with
olive oil and seasonings to taste. Cover with foil
and bake for 40 minutes at 450 degrees F. Remove
the foil and bake an additional 5-10 minutes.
Serve.
Margherita Pizza – Top the pizza crust with
sauce and cheese. Add sliced roma tomatoes and
artichoke hearts that have been cut into quarters.
Bake until cheese is melted and crust is the desired
color. Enjoy!
Optimom Fitness
Because Motherhood Is An Endurance Sport
