From farm to table It's a quick journey for artichokes from Giusti Farms

While Monterey County accounts for about 80 percent of the state’s production, there is a strong chance of eating a San Mateo County artichoke anywhere in the country. But the chances are even higher at several local restaurants that pride themselves in getting the unique perennial thistle from local producers.

Giusti Farms in Half Moon Bay is the largest producer of artichokes in San Mateo County, said Ed Riley, who joined his wife Terry Giusti Riley’s family farm in 1993. Artichokes from Giusti Farms end up on the tables of various restaurants around the county.

"We’re basically wholesalers,” Riley said. "We’re the biggest growers in San Mateo County and we’ve only got 50 acres.

” Giusti Farms was begun in 1949 by his father-in-law Aldo Giusti, said Riley, 58, but didn’t grow artichokes until Giusti bought the land with the original artichokes in 1980. They were later transported to where they now grow in fields just outside the city. Today, Giusti Farms uses about 350 acres in total, and Riley said they grow several different sizes of artichokes.

Larger growers in the state are growing more seeded artichokes because they’re less expensive and produce more artichokes, Riley said. Giusti Farms grows artichokes using a root stalk system — Riley said the climate in the Half Moon Bay area is more conducive to that method. Every four years, the fields are dug up and the plants are divided and replanted. This allows for year-round harvesting and Riley said it takes more care but produces a better-tasting artichoke.

"The chefs know the difference between the two and they try to just use the one,” Riley said.

Artichokes are picked every day on Giusti Farms and packed for delivery. The farm sells directly to several local restaurants, and most of it is done by Riley — when he gets a call he throws the artichokes in his truck and drives to the restaurant. He said he makes deliveries three or four times a week. Since joining the business, Riley said the farm has developed relationships with more restaurants.

Cetrella in downtown Half Moon Bay has done business with Giusti Farms for 10 years, and chef Douglas DeGeeter said the farm is the restaurant’s only source for artichokes. He said using artichokes from Giusti Farms was an obvious choice and they have a neighborly relationship with the farm. Cetrella gets three cases of artichokes from Giusti Farms a week, and Riley said Cetrella was the first restaurant to put the farm’s name on the menu. "My wife and my brother-in-law and the family, they get a kick out of seeing the name on the menu,” Riley said.

Cetrella uses artichokes from Giusti Farms in three dishes, including a pizza, a fritto misto (a variety of seasonal vegetables served together and fried), and in a quinoa served with fish.

"They have a nice product and they’re consistent,” DeGeeter said. "The backbone of a restaurant is built on consistency.”

A second local restaurant where customers can find Giusti Farms artichokes is Sam’s Chowder House, also in Half Moon Bay. Sam’s has used Giusti Farms as their sole source for artichokes since it opened in 2006, and executive chef and partner Lewis Rossman said they buy 20-25 cases every week. Rossman said he has a very close relationship with the farm, and speaks with Riley a couple of times a week. Owners Paul and Julie Shenkman also run Osteria Coppa in San Mateo, and artichokes from Giusti Farms are used on their menu as well.

The menu at Sam’s Chowder House changes seasonally, but Rossman said he uses Giusti’s artichokes in a dish in which he peels them down to the heart, soaks them in milk and tosses it in flour, and then fries it. He’s also currently using them in a dish in which he braises the hearts in a mix of white wine, water and herbs and serves them with tuna.

"It’s a special relationship where I can ask for any size and I’m going to get good product that suits our purposes just fine,” Rossman said. "With him I get that kind of consistency.”

The biggest buyer of Giusti Farms artichokes is Duarte’s Tavern in Pescadero, Riley said. Ron Duarte is a third generation owner of the restaurant, and said they’ve done business with Giusti Farms for more than 10 years and developed a friendship with the farm. Duarte’s uses a large volume of artichokes from several sources including some bigger growers in other areas of California, but they’ve also stayed loyal to Giusti Farms.

Though Duarte said many of the bigger growers he buys from grow seeded artichokes, as far as he’s concerned artichokes grown using roots are still the best. Duarte’s uses artichokes in several dishes — their famous artichoke soup, an artichoke appetizer with aioli sauce, an artichoke linguine and steamed artichokes.

"They’re an old farmer family ... and they’re great to do business with anyway,” Duarte said. "We use all sizes ... the condition determines what we do with it.”

In addition to direct delivery, local restaurants get Giusti Farms artichokes through suppliers or local markets.

Mezza Luna in Half Moon Bay uses artichokes from Giusti Farms in several dishes including artichoke gnocchi, artichoke soup and on top of pizza and have gotten artichokes from the farm since 1993. Owner Giovanni Marzocca said that the Giusti family comes into the restaurant all the time.

"After 20 years, it’s like a friendship,” Marzocca said.

However, Mezza Luna gets their artichokes through a supplier, GF Produce in Pacifica — Marzocca said they’ve worked with them for 20 years and it wouldn’t be fair to not use them to get artichokes from Giusti Farms. Through GF Produce, they get a couple cases of artichokes from Giusti Farms per week, and head chef Carlos Marquez said it’s his only source for artichokes. Artichokes from Giusti Farms are very good, Marzocca said, and they always look good.