Artichokes and broad beans, with potatoes.

Crete of TastesJune 10, 20160 comments

Artichokes and broad beans, with potatoes.

The artichoke is a perennial plant native to Africa but came to us from Sicily, where it is used more as well as in the Italian cuisine in general. In France it was used in the past as a pharmaceutical drug and the cultivation was encouraged by Catherine De Medici who -it is said- was “addicted” to them. It is diuretic and rich in potassium and iron. The broad beans are the fruit of the annual plant “Vicia faba”, originating from Asia where is it’s largest production in the world, but grows almost everywhere. In ancient Greece, other than food -for animals and for humans- it was also used to elect local leaders either playing the role of voting or the clergy.

The “aginarokoukia” with potatoes is one of the most typical and tasty dishes of the Cretan countryside.
Favorite, tasty and very healthy!

Ingredients

Preparation

1 kg (wild) artichokes

1 kg broad beans

1/2 cup olive oil

1 bunch dill or fennel

3-4 fresh or
2 dried onions

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup lemon juice (or vinegar)

a bowl of water with the juice of one lemon

Carefully peel the artichokes, (their leaves are VERY spiky) up to reach the leaves that are completely yellow.
(Do not throw away the rest of the leaves, their yellow noses are edible.)
Dip them in lemon as you peel them so that they don’t turn black.

Cut the heads in half, remove the “beard”
rub them with a lemon and put them in a bowl with water and the juice of one lemon to cover them.

Peel the harsh external fibers from the tender beans,
cut them in half and make a small carve (as shown in the video).

Remove the fruits from the more ripe ones and throw away the peel.

Peel and cut the potatoes and put them in water.

Finely chop the dill or fennel.

Chop the onions.

Heat half a glass of olive oil in a pot
and pour all of our ingredients except the artichokes.

Pour 1 glass of water,
salt-pepper and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the artichokes,
some water and boil for about half an hour.

Dissolve one tablespoon flour in half cup lemon juice (or vinegar)
add juice from the pot, stir it and pour it back into the pot.

Dangle the pot so that it gets properly mixed,
boil for a few minutes and remove the pot from the stove.

[Su_youtube_advanced url = “https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hh8ZrlOiIIQ” playlist = “https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsMhZHNlgxg&list=UUKwt9nkXp043phNc4NidBQA” autohide = “yes” rel = ” no “modestbranding =” yes “theme =” light “]

[/ su_youtube_advanced]

Enjoy!

Attention! The beans may cause a poisoning to animals and to humans known manifested as hemolytic anemia, and in many cases proven fatal. The poisoning is caused to people who have inherited the deficiency of G6PD enzyme.