~Artichokes~ We are the premiere Artichoke grower in Ontario.

Artichokes have a slightly nutty flavour.  A good test of freshness is to press the leaves against each other, the artichoke should feel firm. There are many different ways to prepare artichokes.  The vegetable can be used as an appetizer, a side dish, a main entree or even as an ingredient in pasta sauce.  See below for recipes!

Italian Stuffed Artichokes 6-8 Large artichokes 1/4 cup  Grated parmesan cheese 2 Cloves of garlic- finely chopped 2 Cups of bread crumbs 1/2 Cup olive oil 1/3 Cup Italian parsley- finely chopped Juice of 1 Lemon Salt and pepper to taste To clean artichokes, remove tough outer leaves, cut the stems and trim the tops (just enough to remove the pointy ends).  Artichokes oxide quickly; to prevent them from turning black, place the clean artichokes in a bowl of cold water and the juice of 1 lemon. In a bowl mix cheese, garlic, crumbs, parsley, salt and pepper.  Open the leaves of the artichoke and fill each layer with the crumb mixture. In a shallow pan, bring to a boil 1 inch of water.  Place the artichokes in the pan, drizzle the top of each artichoke with olive oil.  Cover, reduce the heat to low and allow artichokes to steam.  Check occasionally to ensure that the water has not completely evaporated.  Add water if necessary.  The stuffed artichokes are done when a leaf can easily be pulled off.

Artichoke stew   15 small artichokes 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 clove of garlic- finely chopped 2 tsp of tomato paste 1 ½ cups of water Italian parsley Salt to taste To clean artichokes, remove tough outer leaves, cut the stems and trim the tops (just enough to remove the pointy ends).  Artichokes oxide quickly; to prevent them from turning black, place the clean artichokes in a bowl of cold water and the juice of 1 lemon. Sautee the garlic in the olive oil, add the tomato paste and water.  Bring to a boil.  Add the cleaned artichokes.  Let it simmer for 20-30 minutes.  Add salt and parley to taste.   Serve as a side dish.

Artichoke and chicken sauté 16 small artichokes 1/4 cup of olive oil 4 chicken breasts (skinned, boned and cut into chunks) 2 red onions (sliced thick) 4 cloves of garlic (finely chopped) 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil (1/2 tsp dried basil) 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary (1/2 tsp dried rosemary) 1/2 cup chicken broth 1 lb fettuccine cooked and drained To clean artichokes, remove tough outer leaves, cut the stems and trim the tops (just enough to remove the pointy ends).  Artichokes oxide quickly; to prevent them from turning black, place the clean artichokes in a bowl of cold water and the juice of 1 lemon.  Cut artichokes in halves.  Place artichokes in pot of boiling water and boil for 10-15 minutes, until tender. Brown chicken in large skillet with 2 tablespoons oil; remove from pan and set aside. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil and sauté onions until tender. Add artichokes to skillet with garlic, basil and rosemary. Cook until artichokes are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in browned chicken and drizzle with chicken broth; heat through. Salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Serve over hot fettuccine.