In the 1600s, Giacomo Castelvetro wrote a beautiful text: “A short story of all the roots, all the herbs and all the fruits that are eaten raw or cooked in Italy” which was intended to make the English understand why Italians ate vegetables.
Certainly, the climate has favored us, giving us green and succulent buds practically all year round.
One of the most amazing vegetables, both in terms of shape and taste, is certainly the artichoke.
Castelvetro wrote: “Artichokes … don’t last all year long… Artichokes are eaten raw and cooked… they are good to eat raw, with nothing else to eat except salt, pepper and old cheese.”
Taking up his suggestion, I report the recipe for this very simple but super-tasty salad.

Artichoke and provolone salad

  • Preparation time: 10 minutes
  • Ingredients for 4 servings
  • Difficulty: Easy recipe

  • Ingredients
  • 4 artichokes
  • 4 oz (100 grams) of spicy provolone cheese
  • 1 mandarin
  • Extra virgin olive oil to taste
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 lemon
  1. Instructions
  2. Wash and clean the artichokes. Remove the tough outer leaves. Clean the stem of the artichoke, eliminating the external fibers. With a digger, remove any barbs present inside.
  3. As soon as each artichoke and stem are clean, dip it in lemon juice to avoid oxidation.
  4. Cut the provolone into thin flakes.
  5. Squeeze the juice of a mandarin and filter it with a sieve.
  6. In a small bowl, mix the mandarin juice with salt, pepper, and olive oil.
  7. Slice the artichokes very thinly and place them on a serving plate.
  8. Season the artichokes with the mandarin citronette and serve with the provolone cheese.

Tips to ensure the success of the dish:

  • The passage in acidulated water is mandatory because the cut oxidizes the vegetable, which immediately turns black. Often, I also pass the lemon along the blade of the knife.
  • If you cannot find provolone cheese, you can use Parmesan cheese instead.