Name: Purple Italian Globe Artichoke
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 1 artichoke
Ingredients: 1 large globe artichoke; 1-2 TBS vegetable bouillon; 3 cups water

Purple Italian Globe Artichoke

The Purple Italian Globe is an heirloom varietal of the Artichoke family. Grown in the northern Italian region, this type of artichoke is known for her soft buttery leaves, and immensely flavorful attributes. If you have never tasted an artichoke, be sure this is your first variety. As you’ll learn, artichokes come in all shapes and sizes. Some are big and ‘globe’ shaped, while others are long and elongated. Some have sharp thorny tips, while others have a split leaf, or a softer thorn. Many varieties are bitter, while others are soft and mild.

Purple Italian Globe, trimmed and ready to cook in bouillon

This purple Italian Globe version is delicious. I think I finally discovered the best way to cook artichokes, which is in a stock pot with a TBS of vegetable bouillon, lid on, and high cook for about 30 minutes. The results were an amazingly tender, soft, delicious artichoke!

Sure, there’s a bit of work in preparing your choke. For example, I prefer to cut the top off, making it flat. Then trim the points off the outside layer. It opens up the vegetable, allowing it to cook evenly, and it makes the eating process a bit less painful.

Everyone has their favorite part of the artichoke, but for me, it’s the ‘heart’ of the artichoke. I look at it as the the reward after combing through all it’s leaves and making it to its center. It’s the softest, most delicate part of the choke. Eat every leaf one by-one. Flavorful enough to enjoy with or with out a sauce. The artichoke flavor is special indeed, leaving you with a memory of true, ancient history! Sure, the artichoke can be intimidating, but if you look at it as the ‘rose’ of the vegetable world, you’ll see that beyond the thorny exterior lays the delicate center. A center worth all the work.