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Of all the explanations I fantasize about transferring to Rome, the supply of precleaned artichokes is close to the highest of my listing.
Whenever I felt prefer it, I may simply nip all the way down to the native vegetable market the place the artichokes can be bobbing in buckets of lemon water, their pointy petals trimmed, their furry hearts defuzzed, their fibrous stems meticulously pared away, till solely the bright-green tender heart remained. It would take mere minutes to show them into dinner, and in spring I’d fortunately eat them each evening.
But, in my New York actuality, recent artichokes are weekends-only, when I’ve the time and endurance to scrub them. When the craving hits in the course of the workweek, I merely attain for a can.
Of course, canned artichokes are usually not interchangeable with recent ones, actually not in the best way canned beans can change dried beans cooked from scratch.
But canned artichokes (and their chilly frozen cousins) have distinct charms, together with a light, earthy taste and mushy, velvety texture that work superbly in dishes created to reap the benefits of them.
Think of canned artichokes like canned tuna. Fresh tuna steaks are implausible seared and served uncommon, however I wouldn’t need them in a tuna salad sandwich. Each has its personal function in a balanced kitchen ecosystem.
This speedy springlike vegetable stew was designed to deliver out the very best in canned artichokes, anchoring the combination with their clean, meaty character. The sauce that surrounds them is made out of leeks (or scallions) cooked down in butter, herbs and wine, till silky, shiny and aromatic. Peas, both recent if it’s springtime or frozen if it’s not, add pops of vivid shade and sweetness. I stir in dollops of recent milky ricotta simply earlier than serving, which melts a little bit over the recent greens, thickening the stew and making it gorgeously creamy and wealthy.
But in case you do have the time to scrub your personal recent artichokes (or, possibly you reside in Rome), you possibly can substitute them right here. Just slice them into ½-inch items after cleansing, and let the stew simmer for a couple of further minutes till the artichokes are tender and supple.
Thanks to the canned artichokes and frozen peas I can, and do, make this stew all 12 months lengthy. But I discover myself craving it most in March and April, when it’s artichoke season in Rome.
