artichoke hearts
Artichoke hearts are a great addition to pasta! You can also use them to make dips, as a pizza topping, or as a spread on crostini. I love their saltiness.There are so many recipes that use artichoke hearts.
Artichokes are native to the Mediterranean, but where exactly is anyone's guess. Many historians believe that it came from Sicily, or perhaps (Tunisia-Carthage in ancient times.)
Origins aside, artichokes have been around since about 500 AD. Little by little they made their way north to places like Florence. Catherine de Medici, a famous Florentine woman and wife to King Henry II of France is said to have enjoyed artichokes in huge amounts.
So what are artichokes? They are basically a thistle that is cultivated for food and picked before it blooms. Artichoke hearts have many uses.