Artichokes in England.

My friend Marisa fed me artichokes while I was in Melbourne recently – a very fitting thing as she is an expert in Sicilian cookery, and the vegetable probably originated in that particular part of Italy. Marisa solved the problem they present for many of us recently when she blogged about ‘Carciofi (Artichokes and how to clean them.)'


Reading the supporting quotations in the OED is a good way to get a sense of the sequence of many events. The first mention of artichokes in England, (where I grew up) is from a manuscript of 1531 – and refers to “Bringing Archecokks to the Kings Grace’. Another notes that ‘The Hartichoch..is a kinde of Thistel, by the diligence of the Gardner, brought to be a good Garden hearbe.’ And then there is a hint of a date of introduction to England in a quotation from 1582 (from Haklyut) – ‘ In time of memory things haue bene brought in that were not here before, as..the Artichowe in time of king Henry the eight.’ Finally, a hint at the origin in a piece written in 1655 (by Thomas Moffett) – ‘Artichokes grew sometimes onely in the Isle of Sicil; and since my remembrance they were so dainty in England, that usually they were sold for crowns a peice.’

A puzzling thing to me is that artichokes feature prominently in English recipes of the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries (albeit recipes clearly intended for the well-to-do), then seem to fade away. Why would that happen? Was it the wars? It is particularly strange given that recipe books suggest they were cooked in a huge variety of ways. Here is an interesting sweet dish from amongst the many artichoke recipes offered in The cook's dictionary, and housekeeper's directory, by Richard Dolby, 1833.


Artichokes And Almonds à mélange
Take half a pound of sweet almonds blanched and beat fine, with two tea-spoonsful of orange flower water; then take a quart of cream and boil it with a small quantity of cinnamon and mace; sweeten it with fine sugar and mix it with the almonds; stir them together and train it through a sieve. Let the cream cool and thicken it with the yolks of six eggs, then garnish a deep dish and lay paste at the bottom; then put in shred artichoke bottoms, being first boiled; and upon these a little melted butter shred citron and candied orange; repeating the same until the dish is nearly full, then pour in the cream and bake it without a lid. When it is baked grate sugar over it and serve it hot. Half an hour will serve to bake it.


Quotation for the Day.
There is nothing vsed to be eaten of Artochockes but the hed of them.
Andrew Boorde, in Compendyous Regyment of Helth, 1542.

P.S – the good Dr Boorde was wrong: my friend cooked the artichoke stalks too (as apparently they do, in Sicily), and they were absolutely delicious.

Queen of Artichokes.

Today, June 1^st

Norma Jeane Mortenson was crowned ‘Artichoke Queen’ in ‘The Artichoke Capital of the World’ on this day in 1947. You probably know her better as Marilyn Monroe, and you will find the town better by looking up Castroville, California. Norma/Marilyn’s career was not to start for a few years, but Castroville had been working for two decades at growing and promoting the “new” vegetable in order to earn its title.

The artichoke is a member of the thistle family and is similar to the cardoon, which is almost as unfamiliar to a lot of us as the artichoke. It probably arose in Sicily or North Africa and arrived in Europe in the fifteenth century, and in America a confused time later.

Like so many other newly introduced plants, the artichoke was first accused (or lauded) as being an aphrodisiac. In the words of one sixteenth century physician "it has the virtue of . . . provoking Venus for both men and women; for women making them more desirable, and helping the men who are in these matters rather tardy." I did ponder – with this mythoid in mind – if this attribute of the artichoke helped Marilyn’s reputation, or vice-versa.

As to the recipe for the day, I thought to provide you with an artichoke recipe from the mid-1900’s, to fit the story for the day. First, I did a quick browse across the centuries and found that in Adam’s Luxury and Eve’s Cookery (1744) there were nine recipes for fresh artichokes; Mrs Beeton (1861) has three; The Lily Wallace New American Cookbook (1946) has two – and the default artichoke is canned. Progress is about improving, adding, learning etc, isn’t it?

It pains me to do it, when a wonderful Fricassy of Artichokes appears in the book of 1744, but somehow I feel I must give you the recipes from the book of Marilyn’s time – we cannot hide from history you know, we must face canned artichokes square-on, with bravery.

Artichoke Hearts.
Drain canned artichoke hearts. Impale on toothpicks. Serve around bowl of mayonnaise.

Artichoke Heart Salad.
5 cups canned artichoke hearts.
Head of lettuce.
¼ cup piquant mayonnaise (NO. 704)*
Drain the artichoke hearts, saving the juice for soup. Chill thoroughly. Arrange on crisp lettuce and serve with mayonnaise. Dust mayonnaise with paprika. Serves 6 to 8. To use fresh artichokes, remove stem and outside leaves. Discard thistle-like center or “choke”. Soak in salted water ½ hour.Boil 25 minutes in salted water.

*chopped sour pickle and pickled onions added.

Monday’s Story …

Old Maid Day.

Quotation for the Day …

These things are just plain annoying. After all the trouble you go to, you get about as much actual "food" out of eating an artichoke as you would from licking 30 or 40 postage stamps. Have the shrimp cocktail instead. Miss Piggy