artichokes

Ah, the majestic, often misunderstood, but utterly delightful artichoke!

Forget your typical Dutch tulip fields for a moment, and imagine a sun-drenched day on a farm in the Netherlands, where rows of these striking, thorny-yet-elegant plants stand tall, their silver-green leaves glinting. There’s a unique pleasure in plucking your own food, but with artichokes, it’s less a casual stroll and more a noble quest!

The Great Artichoke Hunt: A Thorny but Rewarding Adventure!

Picture this: you, armed with sturdy gloves and a sharp knife (provided by the farm, of course!), venturing into a field of artichokes. Each plant is a little fortress, guarding its precious, tightly furled flower bud – the artichoke we love to eat. There’s a certain thrill in spotting the perfect specimen, feeling its firm, weighty presence, and carefully, deliberately, liberating it from its stem.

Whether you’re on a solo mission, enjoying the quiet satisfaction of harvesting your own gourmet treasure, or with friends and family, laughing as someone inevitably gets pricked (gently!), it’s an experience that connects you to your food in a wonderfully tangible way. Kids especially love the “treasure hunt” aspect, feeling like brave explorers discovering a culinary gem. And let’s be honest, nothing tastes quite as good as something you’ve picked yourself, especially when it’s as impressive-looking as an artichoke! It’s a day out, a hands-on adventure, and a delicious reward all rolled into one.

Bringing Your Bounty Home: Culinary Delights Await!

Once you’ve returned with your basket full of these glorious green globes, the real fun begins. Artichokes are surprisingly versatile and incredibly rewarding to cook.

1. The Classic & Unbeatable: Steamed Artichokes with Zesty Dipping Sauce

This is often the first way people experience artichokes, and for good reason – it lets their unique, subtly nutty flavour shine!

Ingredients:

2-4 fresh artichokes
1 lemon, halved
Salt
For the dipping sauce: Melted butter, mayonnaise, or a simple vinaigrette. (A favourite: whisked mayo with a squeeze of lemon juice, a dash of white wine vinegar, and minced garlic.)

Instructions:

Prep the Artichokes: Cut off the top inch of each artichoke. Trim any small, tough leaves around the base. With kitchen shears, snip off the sharp tips of the remaining leaves. Rub the cut surfaces with lemon to prevent browning. Trim the stem, leaving about an inch.
Steam ‘Em Up: Place the artichokes in a steamer basket over about an inch of boiling water (add a lemon half to the water for extra flavour!). Cover tightly and steam for 25-45 minutes, or until a bottom leaf pulls off easily and the heart is tender when pierced with a knife.
Serve: Drain, and serve warm with your favourite dipping sauce. To eat, pull off a leaf, dip the fleshy end into the sauce, and scrape the soft pulp off with your teeth. Discard the fibrous part. Once you reach the fuzzy “choke” in the center, scrape it away with a spoon to reveal the tender, delicious artichoke heart beneath – the ultimate prize!

2. Roasted Artichoke Hearts with Parmesan & Garlic

For a slightly more sophisticated, intensely flavoured side dish or appetizer, roasting brings out a wonderful depth.

Ingredients:

4 artichokes (you’ll only use the hearts and tender inner leaves)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Lemon wedges for serving

Instructions:

Prepare the Hearts: This is the trickiest part, but worth it! Snap off all the outer leaves until you reach the pale, tender inner leaves. Cut off the top, leaving about 2-3 inches of the base. With a spoon, scoop out the fuzzy choke. You should be left with mostly the tender heart and some light green inner leaves. Cut the hearts in half or quarter them. Rub with lemon juice immediately to prevent browning.
Toss & Season: In a bowl, toss the prepared artichoke hearts with olive oil, minced garlic, salt, and pepper.
Roast: Spread the artichoke pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast in a preheated oven at 200°C (400°F) for 20-30 minutes, or until tender and lightly browned, flipping halfway through.
Finish: Remove from the oven, toss with Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley. Serve hot with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Divine!

A Bittersweet Sip: The Artichoke Spritz Cocktail

Yes, artichokes can even make their way into your cocktail glass! There’s a wonderful Italian liqueur called Cynar (pronounced chee-NAHR) that’s made from artichokes and other herbs. It’s a fantastic bitter that adds a unique twist.

The Artichoke Sunset Spritz

This refreshing drink is perfect for enjoying on a warm evening, perhaps after a satisfying day of artichoke picking!

Ingredients:

45 ml (1.5 oz) Cynar
90 ml (3 oz) Prosecco or dry sparkling wine
A splash of soda water (optional, for extra fizz)
Orange slice or peel for garnish
Ice

Instructions:

Fill a wine glass or highball glass with ice.
Pour in the Cynar.
Top with Prosecco, and a splash of soda water if you like it extra bubbly.
Gently stir.
Garnish with an orange slice or a twist of orange peel.

Cheers to your delicious, hand-picked bounty! So next time you’re in the Netherlands, consider swapping the tulip fields for an artichoke patch – you won’t regret the unique adventure or the gourmet feast that follows!

Moestuin Vollenhoven

flowers, vegetables, berries

utrecht

Moestuin Vollenhoven is a historical and regenerative kitchen garden nestled on Landgoed Vollenhoven. This garden operates with a strong commitment to environmental sustainability, cultivating all its produce biologically without the use of artificial fertilizers or pesticides. It features unique historical glasshouses dating back to 1800 and 1854, which are still actively used today. Visitors to Moestuin Vollenhoven can engage in several activities and offerings: One of the primary self-picking activities is flower picking, available throughout all four seasons using a special clipping card. The variety of flowers for self-picking changes with the seasons:

Weidetuin

vegetables, herbs, flowers

zuid-holland

De Weidetuin is an organic self-picking farm and food park located in Nieuwerkerk aan den IJssel, operating on a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) model. It emphasizes fresh, sustainable, and local produce, fostering biodiversity, community engagement, and food education. As a member, individuals pay an annual fee to self-harvest a wide variety of fresh, ecologically grown produce for their own use throughout the harvest season, which typically runs from March/April to the end of November, with an extended period for winter vegetables. The farm aims to cultivate around 50 different vegetables, herbs, and eventually flowers, utilizing natural fertilization and crop rotation without artificial fertilizers or chemical pesticides.

Ecologische Tuinderij De Tilgrupshof

vegetables, herbs, fruit, berries

friesland

De Tilgrupshof is an ecological self-picking garden located at Tilgrupsweg 2A in Appelscha, which opened in January 2024. It operates on a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) model, inviting individuals to become “harvest partners” (oogstgenoten) who participate in the cultivation and harvesting of their own ecologically grown vegetables. The farm prioritizes biodiversity and soil health, refraining from the use of chemical pesticides or artificial fertilizers, and employing minimal soil disturbance. Harvest partners have access to the garden seven days a week, from sunrise to sunset, for approximately 30 weeks each season, typically from mid-May to November. This allows them to harvest a wide variety of fresh, local produce. The annual contribution for a harvest share operates on a variable tariff, ranging from €200 to €350 per share (with a standard contribution of €275), and offers discounts for children. Participants are expected to harvest for their own fresh consumption, fostering solidarity within the community. Weekly emails guide partners on what produce is currently ready for harvest. While primarily accessible by bike, limited parking for cars is available.

Sfeer van Willems

fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs, berries

gelderland

This self-picking farm, Sfeer van Willems, is a sustainable vegetable and fruit garden spanning one hectare, located on the northeastern edge of Wijchen. Run by Frank and Wilma Willems, the farm is dedicated to providing healthy, sustainably produced food, cultivated without artificial fertilizers or pesticides, and connecting people with nature through a small-scale, socially responsible approach. Visitors can become “harvest partners” through a subscription, granting them access to self-pick seasonal vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers almost every day of the year (08:00-19:00, or until 17:00 in autumn/winter). They receive weekly updates on what is ready for harvest and are encouraged to bring their own bags or crates.

De Moestuin Utrecht

fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs

utrecht

De Moestuin Maarschalkerweerd is a biological farm and garden located in Utrecht, dedicated to providing a green space for community engagement and social impact. It operates as a social enterprise, offering activation and learning-work programs to individuals who are seeking to re-enter the labor market. Visitors to the farm have the opportunity for self-picking during the harvest season, which runs from approximately April to December. Those with a self-picking subscription can typically harvest 4-5 different types of vegetables and fruits each week. The extensive vegetable garden cultivates over 50 varieties, including capuchin peas, lettuce, beans, palm cabbage, tomatoes, sweetcorn, Jerusalem artichokes, and pumpkins. For fruits, strawberries, red currants, blackberries, black currants, and raspberries are available for picking in season. The farm also features apple, pear, cherry, and quince trees, as well as grapes and figs grown in a greenhouse. Additionally, a dedicated flower field allows visitors to gather their own bouquets, with a colorful selection of blooms such as dahlias, sunflowers, cornflowers, safflower, marigolds, coreopsis, amaranth, wild carrot, summer asters, liquorice plant, snapdragons, verbena, flax, sweet pea, knotweed, love-in-a-mist, and cosmos typically flourishing from July to September. A diverse herb garden boasts 75 types of culinary, medicinal, and dye herbs.

Stichting Moestuin De Haar

fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs

utrecht

Moestuin de Haar is a 1.5-hectare self-picking garden established on the historical production grounds of Kasteel de Haar. Operating on the principles of community-supported agriculture (CSA), it invites participants to purchase an annual harvest share, granting them weekly access to harvest fresh vegetables, small fruits, herbs, and flowers during the growing season. The garden is committed to biological farming, prioritizing biodiversity, seasonal cultivation, and maintaining healthy soil without the use of artificial fertilizers or pesticides. This approach aims to provide wholesome food while contributing positively to the environment. Moestuin de Haar also functions as a vibrant community hub, offering various activities such as harvest festivals, workshops, and educational programs for schools. It serves as an inspiring location for team outings and teambuilding, and volunteers are actively involved in its upkeep.