Fresh Artichokes

Country Of Origin: Turkey

Seasons/Availability 
Artichokes are available year-round, with peak seasons in the spring and fall.

Description
The artichokes can be consumed raw, but many artichokes are sold in more mature stages, requiring cooking. When mature artichokes are cooked, the lower, fleshy base of the bracts and the heart are the only portions consumed. These fleshy bracts and hearts develop a soft and tender consistency and have a green, nutty, slightly tangy, vegetal flavour.

Uses
Sliced artichokes can also be stuffed with herbs, cheese, meats, and breadcrumbs and baked as a savoury dish. In addition to consuming the bracts, Globe artichokes can be utilized for the central heart. The hearts can be cooked and topped with cheese served as an appetizer, mixed into pasta, stuffed into empanadas, tossed into salads, or sprinkled on pizza. They can also be cooked into paella, mixed into stews, incorporated into grain bowls, or sautéed into egg-based dishes. 

​Benefits
Artichokes are a good source of potassium to balance fluid levels within the body and folate to promote the production of healthy red blood cells. The artichokes also provide moderate amounts of vitamin K to assist in faster wound healing, phosphorus to protect bones and teeth, and other nutrients, including manganese and magnesium.