When Passover falls in early spring, highlight one of the season’s best vegetables: artichokes. These matzo farfel-stuffed baked artichokes would be a worthy addition to any seder menu.
With the first seder on March 30, Passover comes early this year. If a rabbi were here right now, he or she would say: “Actually, Passover is the same date every year.” Right. On the Jewish calendar, Passover is the same date every year. On the secular calendar – you know, the one we actually use? – the date moves around and this year, it is early.
When I plan my seder menu, I think of it as a time to herald the return of spring after a long winter. That is why you will typically see spring fruits and vegetables like asparagus and strawberries served at my Passover seder. But when Passover begins in March, we are a little ahead of asparagus season.
Happily, it is artichoke season. Artichokes are one of early spring’s great joys, making them a delicious and seasonal choice for your Passover table. But did you know that artichokes also have a storied history in Jewish cuisine?
Indeed, one of the best known dishes of Italian Jewish cuisine is carciofi alla giudia, or artichokes in the Jewish style, which is a whole, deep-fried artichoke. This seasonal dish, which today is served as an appetizer in trattorias all over the Eternal City, originated in the restaurants of Rome’s Jewish Ghetto, a place where food was scarce and residents endeavored to make the most of what they had.
So, I think we should all embrace the fortuitousness of Passover coming so early this year and feature artichokes at our seders. To make it super-easy for you, I’ve created this recipe for baked artichoke halves with a lemony, garlicky matzo farfel stuffing.
You can prepare the artichokes in advance and pop them in the oven an hour before you plan to eat – which could be at the beginning of your seder or somewhere in the middle depending on how long it takes your family to tell the Passover story and eat your matzo ball soup. (Matzo ball soup!)
Of course, if you are not Jewish or planning a festive dinner party that is not a Seder, you can make this dish as well. Just replace the matzo farfel with Panko bread crumbs.
What vegetables are you planning to serve at your Seder this year? Do you like artichokes as much as I do?
Ingredients
- 4 globe artichokes
- 2 cups matzo farfel
- 2 TB extra virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
- Zest and juice of two lemons
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup Gruyere cheese, grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Prepare artichokes by removing the outer leaves and cutting off the top inch. If any leaves still have pointy tops on them, cut those off with scissors. Cut artichokes in half lengthwise and use a spoon to remove the spiky choke in the center. Rub cut surfaces with lemon juice to prevent browning.
- Place artichoke halves in a baking dish just large enough to hold them. (Use two dishes if you don't have one that is big enough for all eight halves.)
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine matzo farfel, olive oil, lemon zest, minced garlic and salt. Toss to combine so the farfel is coated with the oil.
- Divide the farfel mixture among the artichoke halves, packing it into the cavities. Top with grated cheese and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle with additional olive oil.
- Add the lemon juice to the bottom of the baking dish. If it does not cover the bottom of the dish, add water until the liquid measures a half inch.
- Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake in oven for 1 hour or until artichokes are tender and stuffing is golden brown. (If there is liquid remaining at the bottom of the dish, simply drain it off.)
- Serve warm.
