A Light Exists In Spring
A Light exists in Spring
Not present on the Year
At any other period -
When March is scarcely here
-Emily Dickinson (1834)
Just a few weeks ago, we tasted the first oils of the season—bright, assertive, and full of character. That first encounter always brings a quiet sense of celebration: a confirmation that the work of the harvest has yielded something alive and full of promise. But that moment is also a beginning. What follows is the essential task of refining what excites us—preserving its best qualities, amplifying its structure, and shaping the final blends with clarity and purpose. It’s careful work—and somewhere in the midst of it, spring arrived.
Luretik’s rolling hills turning to spring
This transition always seems to happen overnight. The hills surrounding our grove are suddenly green. Poppies appear along the gravel paths. Rose bushes, bare for months, begin to bud. These harbingers of spring are familiar, but they never fail to catch us by surprise.
In early March, we began bottling the 2024 oils, continuing this year with our three signature blends—Toscana, Sicily, and Meridione. The oils range from mild to robust in character, and each one tells its own story, shaped by the decisions made in the grove over the previous year. We’re experimenting with new blending to bring added complexity and clarity to all three. Though our cultivars remain consistent, their expression shifts year to year. Fruitiness, bitterness, and pepperiness depend on weather, pruning, harvesting decisions, and milling, making each new vintage unique, a record of what the trees lived through, and how we responded.
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Notes from the experts: A certified sensory panel noted that Luretík’s 2024 Sicily is “very complex in its aromas” with a gustatory profile of “lively spice, tomato leaf, grass, and artichoke.” On the palate, it was deemed both “lovely and elegant.” Likewise, the panel noted “another good showing” for Luretík’s 2024 Meridione - our most awarded blend from last season. “Balanced and complex on the palate with grass, artichoke, and green almond notes” and “a finish that is full and luxurious.” We have been honored to see this year’s oils already recognized with a Best in Class and two gold medals at the California State Fair and the Los Angeles International Olive Oil Competition—an encouraging sign, especially as the bar for quality California olive oil continues to rise.
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With the oils now released and momentary respite from the grove, our attention turns to the garden - and right on cue, the artichokes have taken center stage. This is their season. The plants are tall - unruly at times - and full of energy. The artichoke, of course, is not a vegetable at all, but an unopened flower. Left alone, it will eventually burst into a vivid purple thistle—one of the most striking sights in the garden. From March through May, a single plant can produce twenty or more heads. We grow several varieties at Luretík, each with its own characteristics. In spite of their intimidating prickly exterior, they’re a joy to work with in the kitchen, versatile beyond measure, but more on how to prepare them later. For now, it’s enough just to admire them outside my kitchen window: the tightly packed buds nestled among silvery leaves on stalks that tower along the garden’s horizon.
Vibrant purple artichokes - “carciofi” in Italian - in the garden
Wild silver green stalks towering in the garden
And finally, while spring still feels fresh, the next season is already quietly underway. On some of our earlier-fruiting olive varieties, we’re already seeing signs of inflorescence—small clusters of white flowers beginning to emerge which will eventually produce new olives. A single tree can produce tens of thousands, though only a tiny fraction will become fruit- 1-5%, even in ideal conditions. So even as we enjoy the final results of last year’s harvest, the next one is already beginning to take shape. The rhythm continues. The trees, as always, are a step ahead.
Carciofi Ripieni (Stuffed Artichokes)
A culinary favorite - breaded and stuffed artichokes
Some things never change, and one of those is my love of artichokes, prepared in
myriad ways. Perhaps my favorite preparation, however, remains the one that made a
regular appearance on our table in springtime when I was a child: Carciofi ripieni or
stuffed artichokes. Just the first bite each season is enough to bring back memories
of a long ago past. A Sicilian specialty prepared by my grandfather, who cooked daily in
our home, stuffed artichokes require only a modest time commitment and offer a huge
return on flavor. My siblings and I never tired of them, and I’m sure you won’t either.
The commonly found “Green Globe” variety works best, though any larger artichoke can
be used. (Smaller varieties are preferred for dishes that require a different preparation,
such as sautéing, to be used in risotto, tarts or simply as a side dish.) The final step of
running the steamed artichokes under the broiler is something I have never seen in
other recipes, leading me to believe that my grandfather wanted to retain an “old world”
taste to his preparation. As my dear friend and Sicilian food historian, Fabrizia Lanza
notes in her exquisite book Coming Home to Sicily, artichokes are traditionally set
upright on a bed of hot coals and roasted. While the tough outer leaves will char, the
protected inner leaves and hearts roast slowly, resulting in an unusual delicacy.
Ingredients
4-6 fresh large globe artichokes (grey/green, with no signs of browning on the leaves)
1 lemon
1 ½ c dried, fine breadcrumbs
1 tbl freshly chopped Italian parsley
¼ c. fresh, finely grated Pecorino cheese (use Parmesean for a less assertive flavor)
1 clove of garlic, peeled and put through a garlic press
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1/3 c. Luretík Sicily olive oil.
Preparing the artichokes
-First, wash the artichokes well, being careful to avoid the prickly edges of the leaves.
Washing will help open the leaves.
-Next, fill a large bowl with cool water, add the juice of 1 lemon, then drop in lemon halves.
-After washing the artichokes, cut the stems off the bottoms so that they are relatively flat.
-Once you have made a cut on an individual artichoke, drop it into the acidulated water
while you proceed to work on the next one. This will keep them from browning excessively
-Take a sharp knife (not serrated) and cut about 1” off the top of the artichoke (or about
1/3 depending on the size of the artichoke)
-Continue cutting the prickly tips off the remaining leaves, and finally remove the
toughest of the lower outer leaves by simply pulling them downward.
-The artichokes are now ready to fill with the breadcrumb mixture.
-Combine the breadcrumbs, grated cheese, chopped parsley, garlic, salt, pepper, then
slowly add as much oil as is needed to make a slightly moist mixture
-Spread the leaves of the artichokes and press the stuffing in equal amounts between
all the leaves. Do not overfill.
-In a large pot that will hold all the artichokes snugly, place the stuffed artichokes side by
side, then fill with water to cover the base of the artichokes, just about half-way up the
outermost leaves. Drizzle any remaining oil over the tops of the artichokes.
-Steam covered for between 20-50 minutes depending on the size of the artichokes.
-You may need to add additional water as the cooking advances. Begin checking for
doneness after the first 20 minutes. A leaf should pull away with a gentle tug when done.
Remove the artichokes and place in an ovenproof serving dish. Turn your oven to the
broil setting and place the artichokes briefly under the broiler so that the tops brown
quickly and appear slightly “charred.”
Serve immediately.
A Note on How to Eat Stuffed Artichokes
Artichokes are meant to be eaten with your hands! Eat leaf by leaf, savoring the
combination of the breadcrumb mixture and tender flesh of the inner leaves. Once you
have reached the most tender inner leaves, remove the soft, fuzzy “choke” with a knife
and and enjoy the treasure of the heart. I guarantee, that you won’t stop at just one.