Gaze out at these majestic carciofi fields! They are the pride and glory of Maida farm in Cilento, Campania. Now in peak season, these stunning artichokes are being hand-harvested by the dynamite farmer duo Franco + Fabrizio Vastola and their team.
After the harvest, these local artichokes, also called Pascaioli because they bloom around Pasqua (Easter), are brought to the Maida lab and processed – you guessed it – entirely by hand.
They are trimmed to the cuore, the artichoke heart, splashed with lemon juice to keep their fabulous color, and finally blanched to reach that melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Maida artichokes come in 2 versions: Grigliati and Piccoli, both preserved in real, farmer-made extra virgin olive oil. With a unique smokey character, the former are halved, grilled, and seasoned with black pepper and parsley. The latter, sweet and delicate, are tiny whole hearts with an incredibly tender consistency and a pure artichoke flavor.
They make the BEST aperitivo platter addition, bruschetta topping, or quick sauce. Our favorite way to eat ’em? Definitely as a snack out of the jar.