Written for The Alameda Sun, Alameda California October 2002

The Kiss of Burgundy

It's October. Pumpkins & apples fill the produce stands. Pomegranates are coming in & persimmons are on the road.

The evenings are becoming cooler and if we haven't had it yet, most likely our last blast of Indian summer is on it's way before everything cools down for the season.

So why then, am I writing about artichokes? It's an item that I usually can't wait 'til 'March to write about when they mark the beginning of the spring season.   

Artichokes however, come to us twice a year, normally with a large spring crop that floods the stores with ads and sales. During the summer they quiet down a bit 'til fall when another mini (but significant in size) season hits again. That's where we are right now. For the next month or two we should have a decent fill of fall chokes.

There is a new player in the artichoke game. The "Kiss of Burgundy" is a purple artichoke with thicker, meatier leaves and a huge heart. This artichoke proved to be a huge success with its prior spring crop that took several thistle eating lovers by storm.

With 9 years in the making the growers were trying to produce an artichoke that could grow in climates warmer than the foggy coast chokes of Monterey county. What ended up happening was that the Kiss of Burgundy not only grew well in warmer temps, but it also grew well in traditional cooler coastal "artichoke weather."  In fact the crop that I tasted earlier this year was a seventh generation prize-winning choke grown in Elk Grove just below Sacramento.

The current fall crop comes to us from Southern Monterey County Between near Lake San Antonio where the summer heat gets as high as 119 and winter cold as low as 19 F.

Artichoke leaves get their "meat" from the heart. As the choke matures it draws more flesh from the heart. At the same time the leaves begin to open up and the heart begins to decrease in size. With the Kiss of Burgundy the heart is naturally bigger leading to thicker meatier leaves than you would find in a regular green artichoke.  Believe it or not, this is the only artichoke that I have ever eaten raw. There was no trace of bitterness and the flesh was sweet.

Traditional Artichokes have a root system of 2-3 feet, but the Kiss of Burgundy's root system reaches up to eight feet enabling it to draw more nutrients & trace minerals from the ground. This also contributes to the rich sweet creamy flavor not only in the leaves and heart, but in the stem as well.

Kiss of Burgundy Artichokes contain more iron than their green predecessors and are a great source of potassium, calcium, vitamin C, folic acid and magnesium. The leaves of the choke contain many beneficial phytochemicals, such as the antioxidant cynarin, a compound that is found to encourage liver bile production that helps the body rid itself of unwanted cholesterol. That's when globbing your artichoke leaves with mayonnaise becomes a shot in the foot. Try instead a mixture of olive oil, herbs and a dash of balsamic vinegar.

When selecting artichokes in the store look for firm tight compact chokes that are bright in color. 

To find the Kiss of Burgundy Artichoke in you local market look for deep blushed chokes. Their color stands out on the produce rack and their flavor stands out on your palate.