Fresh Whole Artichokes

A 1997 Original  By Jessica Cameron

• 2 medium artichokes or 1 large artichoke
• 1 lemon
• Artichoke Dipping Sauce

      Choose artichokes with the leaves pressed close to the body of the vegetable.  These are more tender and will have more meat on them.  Artichokes that have their leaves curling out are older and further into the artichoke season, hinting the artichoke season is coming to a close soon and the lesser fruit of an artichoke plant spent for the season from producing better artichokes earlier.

     Trim the stem off the bottom of the artichoke. Trim the top of the artichoke off to create a ‘flat top`.  With a scissor go around the entire artichoke and trim the tip of each leave off.  They tend to be sharp and hard to handle when served.  Once your artichoke is trimmed, fill a pot that will cover the artichoke completely half way with water.  I suggest putting a vegetable steamer tray in the bottom of the pot so the artichoke is suspended to steam.   I also half the lemon and quarter and add to the water around the artichoke. It will add a subtle lemony flavor to the steaming liquid and the artichoke itself.  Bring the water to a full boil, then turn down to maintain a steady simmer.  Cover the artichoke and steam for 1 hour.  Once done, take the artichokes out, let cool, and enjoy with the dipping sauce.  Don’t forget, when you get through the leaves, remove the choke and clean the heart, and enjoy that with your dipping sauce as well. 

A great snack or a light dinner with garlic bread!

  

Comments

[Sandi]

I love artichokes. I've only cooked them once, but plan to do so real soon. Great blog.