Artichokes
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Artichokes
Every time I pick up a couple of artichokes someone asks me what “to do” with them so here’s my suggestion on how to eat artichokes.
Artichokes are basically a large thistle. The vegetable you find at the market’s is the flower bud before they have bloomed. They grow in farms in California, where I suspect my mother picked up her taste for artichokes since she grew up there.
You will be eating the soft spot at the bottom of each leaf and the artichoke “heart.”
To eat, first boil the artichoke until you can get a fork in the bottom section between the stem and the artichoke bottom. Allow to cool.
Dab leaf base with mayonnaise then scrape the soft part off gently with your teeth. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)
You can dip the bottom of each leaf in melted butter or mayonnaise, just enough to coat it. Then gently scrape the bottom part with your teeth as you pull it through.
Once de-leafed, you will be left with the artichoke heart and paper-thin leaves. Remove the paper thin leaves before cutting up the heart and eating with a dab off your dip of preference.
The artichoke heart usually serves 6 to 8 bites. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)
Mom used to joke that artichokes were no calorie meals because it took more energy to eat them than consumed. That’s right, we used to make one meal out of an artichoke although some recommend it more as an appetizer.
They can also be pickled although I haven’t tried to do so.
