Frozen artichoke hearts

[aris]

Anyone ever seen these in the UK - and if so, where?

They appear to be pretty common on the continent, and fresh artichokes are so so expensive in the UK.

[Gordon]

Try here

http://www.birdseyefoods.com/birdseye/i ... eHearts9oz

[aris]

I think that is Birds Eye USA - not UK.

[jenny_haddow]

Aris, if you have any multi-cultural shopping areas near you, especially Turkish shops, you will find fresh artichokes for a very reasonable price. The area I go to in NW London has them, and my daughter went home with a bag full recently.
Also some farm shops have frozen food sold by weight using a scoop. I'm sure I saw artichokes in one near Cambridge. Not too expensive, considering, probably around �5.00 a kilo.

Cheers

Jen

[aris]

Where in NW london are you talking about? Green Lanes?

[jenny_haddow]

I go to Burnt Oak. Last but one stop on the Edgware bound Northern Line. Great shopping area of small shops covering a wide range of ingredients at low prices. The shops range along the Edgware Road and down Watling Avenue. A short bus ride away is Oriental City.
The shops are rammed with produce and people, it's hard to believe its England. Good place to buy goat as well.

[aris]

Sounds good - I go to the Oriental City quite often (great selection of food!).

Is there parking at this Burnt Oak place if I don't want to take the tube?

[aris]

What other items are good value in this shopping area?

[jenny_haddow]

There's a large car park off Watling Avenue, largely unused because you have to pay, but it's only �3.00 for a whole day. or else its charged, I think, in 20 minute increments. It's in Barnfield Road and is the turning to the left as you come down Watling from the Edgware Road, blink and you will miss it! Street parking is a night mare there, but you may be lucky.

There is a good selection of large cooking pots, and unusual utensils. It's really a place to just ferret around in as it caters for most of the world in terms of ingredients. Most of the shops spill out on to the pavement with additional stalls (the council have plans afoot to stop this!), but it is worth going through these and into the shop proper where there are lots of herbs and spices, and very often a good halal meat counter.

If you go, just wander, but take plenty of shopping bags, and cash, most of them don't do cards.

Hope this helps

Cheers

Jen

Just a thought, if you are coming from Oriental City, go along the Edgware Road away from London for a mile or so and you will come to a set of traffic lights with a pub to your right called the Bald Faced Stag(Dick Turpin stopped there on his ride to York). This is Burnt Oak, and the next turning right is Watling Avenue.

[Fallow Buck]

Great advice Jen,

Aris, when you freeze the artichoke hearts you are best to blanch them breifly in boiling water with some lemon juice in there, otherwise they will brown up.

My gran used to live oppsite a field of artichokes and we would fill up the back of the hi-lux in cyprus, and then all the old girls in the village would sit around the kitchen taboe and clean them up for freezing. Then they would give them to all their freinds/family.

They are great fried in a little olivo oil with a couple of fresh eggs broken over them, but then I rekon you already know that!!

Rgds,
FB

[aris]

I'm going to go there this Saturday - it is not too far from me.

My wife saw this artichoke and pea dish on tv on that new rick stein show - he happened to be visiting greece. My mum made a similar dish once with frozen artichokes she brough us from Greece - so now my wife is dead set on making this.

Artichokes are delicious.

[jenny_haddow]

Aris, check out the frozen foods in the shops, you can find some interesting stuff, maybe some artichokes.

[Fallow Buck]

Tinned ones in brine aren't too bad either in a stew.

[aris]

Ok, so I went to Burnt Oak on the weekend.

As you said - very multi-cultural! Found my frozen artichokes, and fresh ones, plus lots of other fruits and veg of very good quality and very reasonable prices. Will go again!

Oh, and parking is free on Saturday in the local pay-and-display parking lot!

[jenny_haddow]

Glad you found your artichokes and found Burnt Oak useful Aris.

Cheers

Jen