5 Dishes That’ll Make You Fall in Love with Baby Artichokes

Fresh artichoke season, which is at its peak from March through May, has arrived, and we can’t get enough of the sweet green thistle. And as much as we love generously-sized globe artichokes, there’s a special place in our hearts for their smaller cousin, baby artichokes. 

 

Baby artichokes are young artichokes that haven’t fully developed chokes, the mass of immature florets in the center of the plant that are too prickly to be edible. Not having to wrestle with the choke means that baby artichokes easier to prepare, since you can consume the entire vegetable. Since they’re immature, they’re also tender and sweet—the perfect metaphor for spring. Check out our video to learn how to trim baby artichokes.

 

Once you’ve properly trimmed them, try your hand at one of these five recipes that take advantage of fresh, peak-season baby artichokes.

 

Stewed Artichokes with Lemon and Garlic   Here they are lightly cooked with lemon, garlic, thyme and parsley for a flavorful dish that speaks of spring.

Spring Salad with Baby Artichokes and Peas     Celebrate the arrival of spring by combining several types of seasonal vegetables, like artichokes, English peas and mint leaves, in this beautiful salad.

Grilled Baby Artichokes with Spicy Garlic Butter   A gently steamed artichoke leaf dipped in melted butter is exquisite, but grilled baby artichokes only improve on a good thing.

Braised Chicken and Artichokes   This dish of braised chicken and tomatoes with baby artichokes and basil, tarragon, and parsley, perfectly captures spring’s segue from cold-weather comfort food to seasonal spring produce.

Sliced Steak with Garlic-Sauteed Artichokes   Here, boneless sirloin steak is seared on a hot grill and baby artichokes are sauteed until tender for an impressive, low-carb meal that comes together in no time.