Oh how I love an artichoke… it’s the combination of their earthy flavor, the peeling of their green petals and the yummyness of the dipping sauce. I feel simple and sophisticated, all at once.
Lucky me… I had an artichoke for lunch today!
This is how I cook them…
I rinse them in water to wash them and get any little lingering bugs out of them.
Cut off the stalks with a knife.
The little spikes on the ends of the petals can be a nuisance. I cut them off before cooking by using a knife to cut off the tips of the petals.
And then I use scissors to trim the spikes off the remaining petals.
Place the trimmed artichokes in a steamer, stem up.
Steam for about 30 minutes or until stalk bases are tender.
My favorite dipping sauce is balsamic vinaigrette. I mix equal parts balsamic vinegar with olive oil and a little salt to taste (yes, I love balsamic!) Whisk together until it emulsifies and… Voila!
My favorite dipping sauce is balsamic vinaigrette. I mix equal parts balsamic vinegar with olive oil and a little salt to taste (yes, I love balsamic!) Whisk together until it emulsifies and… Voila!Melted butter is another great artichoke sauce, as is lemon butter or mayonnaise.
Peel a petal, dip it into the sauce and eat the soft flesh at the base of the petal. It’s delicious!!
When you come to the heart, use a spoon to gently scrape the hairs away, leaving the tender heart. What’s left is pure delicacy.
I cooked 4 today. As no one else in my family eats artichokes, guess what I’m having for lunch tomorrow, the next day and the day after? Lucky me!
When you come to the heart, use a spoon to gently scrape the hairs away, leaving the tender heart. What’s left is pure delicacy.
I cooked 4 today. As no one else in my family eats artichokes, guess what I’m having for lunch tomorrow, the next day and the day after? Lucky me!Blessings and Magic…
11 Responses
Mmmmmmm …. That looks sooooo good! Lucky you!
The last time I had artichokes was in my high school home economics class. I wasn’t impressed. However, your way of cooking them looks delicious and I must try them again. I think my girls would enjoy them. Thanks for sharing this.
Lisa :)
I’m crazy about artichokes. Butter for me, please.
This restaurant around here used to have stuffed artichokes – they had a little shrimp on the end of the leaf, and it was then lightly breaded. Served with a mayonnaise sauce, I think it was aoli.
Anyway…. it was to die for.
I have three or four in my fridge. Think I’ll join you.
Thanks for sharing… I will try it too. I never had an artichoke before.
I’m trying to remember, but I don’t think I’ve had artichokes other than the marinated ones in jars from the store. They do sound very tasty, though, how you prepared them. :)
We love artichokes. I also love to grow them, they are beautiful big architectural plants in the vegie garden or the herb garden. My boys also love them so we plant out lots of them, they look lovely at the back of flower beds as well, especially the purple ones.
We steam them and eat them with very similar sauces as you- delicious
I LOVE Artichokes! In my Italian family, we had them all the time and we dipped them in vinegar too, but if we wanted to be bad, we dipped them in melted butter!
36 years ago in Rome we had a feast of artichokes in our campervan parked beneath the steps of St Peters. Our daughter was born 9mths later so watch it!
Oh I wish we could obtain fresh ones here. They take dressings and suaces so well don’t they?
Yum, you know how to eat an artichoke! I love them, too, but have never tried dipping them in balsamic vineagar and olive oil. Can’t wait to try that!
Thank you for showing how to cook an artichoke! I’ve looked longingly at the beautiful artichokes in the grocery store many times, never picking them up, because I didn’t know how to prepare them. :)