One of the things I love most about living in Italy is eating seasonally.
It isn’t always easy waiting, but we are always rewarded with exceptional flavor and joy.
Spring comes in with a bang, artichokes, asparagus, fava beans and peas.
When you get the first products, we tend to enjoy then raw.
Raw Artichokes? YES. Not all artichokes are eaten raw, and there is a trick to preparing them.
You remove the tougher outside leaves, then cut off the tough top part of the leaves and the rest is tender.
We have several sizes and kinds of artichokes here, if you don’t, probably wait until you get the baby artichokes, which are actually the smaller chokes which grow on the stems.
One of my favorite recipes is for a carpaccio of carciofi, raw artichoke salad with parmesan cheese.
Here is a little clip I made yesterday.
I have so many favorite artichoke recipes,are they easily available where you live?
I am originally from California,so have grown up eating artichokes.but mostly the large ones steamed.
There are so many kinds here in Italy, from the large ones to stew, or cook stuffed to the smaller ones we fry or eat raw.
I think that there are the baby artichokes available now which are perfect for this recipe.
here in Israel we only get the older tougher artichokes. I’ve looked all over the shuk and nothing like Rome in october..it is the first thing i buy each year when we come. Thank you so much for the breath of artichoke season!
Love Fresh Italian Spring Vegetables!
I admit that it has never occurred to me to eat an artichoke raw. Which I intend to try. But reading your post, I got the idea to put some of the baby ones in my giambotta, bringing it to a whole new level!
Connie, we do a saute with fava beans, artichokes, peas and asparagus. In Tuscany called garmugia– in rome vignarola
Had a great raw artichoke salad in Firenze a couple of years ago…served just the way you have….excellent!
Zucchini are starting to flower here in southern California. Do you have a recipe for deep frying them that does not have anchovies? (we don’t care for them)
in Tuscany we simply use fresh ricotta, the local ricotta is from sheep’s milk and needs nothing else. In USA, I probably would add some grated parimigiano or even stir in some goat cheese for a nice contrast. They are often just served fried with nothing as a side dish.
I have also baked them on a tomato sauce filled with ricotta, or just heated on the sauce on the oven. There are no rules!
here is my recipe online for the classic Tuscan version- https://www.divinacucina.com/2012/05/fiori-fritti-fried-zucchini-blossoms/