But I rarely think of the artichoke in its entirety, and I even more rarely think about its family. The artichoke, you see, is a thistle. Thistles are prickly plants with sharp surfaces to counter-attack hungry herbivores (like us.)

The artichoke is an edible thistle, but if we didn’t slice off those prickly points from the bud portion and eat it, it would grow into a spectacular purple flower. Perhaps that’s the reason for the flesh-wounding tips: a gift as precious as the one inside each artichoke bud –whether it becomes a lovely bloom or a meal for you to savor– is one well worth protecting.

An artichoke in full bloom. (Cat Dancing/Creative Commons License)

That’s why I wanted to concoct a slow cooker recipe that glorifies the artichoke instead of strangling it in cheese or butter, like Americans are so often apt to do. In Spain they know how to treat an artichoke, sauteeing them simply with a dab of garlic, or sprinkling the young ones lightly with olive oil and leaving them to roast slowly in the ashes of a fire.

This slow cooker chicken dish is lightly seasoned, with just enough herbs, white wine, and olive oil to bring out the taste of the artichokes themselves.

Chicken and artichokes, simply seasoned.

Slow Cooker Chicken with Artichokes Recipe

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts
3 cups artichoke hearts, fresh or frozen
1/4 cup kalamata olives (about 12)
3 cloves garlic, chopped roughly
1 tsp herbes de Provence
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine or dry vermouth
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 Tsp olive oil

Directions: Arrange chicken breasts and artichokes in the crock of your slow cooker. Top with kalamata olives and sprinkle with herbs and garlic. Pour wet ingredients over the top, drizzling the olive oil last, and stir just a little to combine ingredients if necessary. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 3-4 hours, until chicken is cooked through.

Serve with a Greek salad, or a simple green salad sprinkled with feta, and warm pita bread.

Keep in kind that the thistle is an ancient Celtic symbol of nobility, and the wounding of one demands punishment. If anyone lifts the lid of your slow cooker while you cook your artichokes, feel free to mete out that punishment in the name of the Order of the Thistle.

Despite appearances, not a crustless quiche. Nuh-uh.

Everybody sing: “You say po-tay-to and I say po-tah-ta. You say strata, and I say frittata.”

Strata? Frittata? Eh, let’s call the whole thing off. Most people just say quiche anyway.

“Crustless Quiche” pops up in a lot of cookbooks and online recipe collections. However, if you take a look at the definitions of traditional egg dishes, you’ll see that the definition of a quiche usually presumes a crust or shell. The frittata, on the other hand, the Italian version of an omelet, is cooked on the stove until nice and puffy, then finished off in the oven and served without being folded over (because that would be an omelet.)

So, though you can call it whatever you like, I say: If you’ve got a round egg dish filled with ingredients, and it doesn’t have a crust, what you’ve got there is a frittata.

If you’ve ever made a quiche, frittata, or any other egg casserole in the oven, then you know how prone they are to drying out. Sometimes in order to get the middle to set, you’re forced to overcook the outside. In the slow cooker, though, the low, even heat keeps the eggs moist and fluffy, like the best scrambled eggs.

Preparing one is easy-peasy. Chop a few odds and ends, whisk some eggs, then let the slow cooker do the work. In fact, if you’re too busy to do the chopping, there are plenty of things you can toss in the crock as is: whole spinach leaves (they’ll soften up just fine) or pre-shredded cheese, for example.

This frittata is a riff on Greek food, and it’s just loaded up with good stuff. Spinach is used so much in quiche-like dishes that I nixed it this go-around in favor of colorful, savory fresh herbs, but by all means, spinach it up if you want.

You can also go nuts and use real cream. I’m a fan of evaporated skim milk, because it is thicker than regular skim, has no fat, and keeps in the cupboard so it’s always on hand. If you noticed I didn’t include salt, that’s because both the olives and the feta have plenty. You won’t miss it.

Slow Cooker Mediterranean Frittata Recipe

1/2 tbp olive oil or non-stick spray
1/4 cup kalamata olives, roughly chopped
1 cup roasted red peppers, well drained and roughly chopped
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp plain yogurt (preferably Greek-style)
1/4 cup evaporated skim milk
9 large eggs
Ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped (or whole leaves if using small-leaved basil)
1/4 cup flat-leaf Italian parsley, roughly chopped

Directions: Spray or coat slow cooker well with oil. In the bottom of the crock, place the olives, red peppers, feta, and garlic in layers (they will rise during the cooking and distribute themselves equally). In a separate large bowl, combine the yogurt, milk, and pepper, and whisk very well, until good and frothy. Pour egg mixture over the ingredients in the crock, then top with basil and parsley. Cook on high for 1 hour and fifteen minutes, or low for 3 hours. Be sure the center is set.

When center is set, run a knife around the edge of the frittata and slide it out onto a plate. You can also slice the frittata into wedges while it is still in the crock and remove them one by one with a spatula, which takes longer, but ensures it doesn’t fall apart.

The texture of these eggs is dreamy: moist, steamy, and somehow buttery. I served the frittata for dinner with pita bread and a yogurt cucumber raita. For a quicker service, serve with pita bread and a spinach salad-in-a-bag.

Yogurt cucumber raita, loaded with garlic and dill.

On a lazy morning, zip this one into the slow cooker and climb back into bed to awake to a savory brunch that anyone else in the house will think appeared by magic.

And if anyone dares call it a “crustless quiche,” send ‘em to me.