Artichoke Time

Thankfully, we are having an early spring.
Foraging time!

I am first and foremost a forager; Rob and I eat dandelions, leeks, nettles, morels, puffballs, fiddleheads, garlic mustard and a variety of other flora. (We do not eat fauna except on rare occasion, like the time we fattened up our own escargot...)

Spring is for foraging and also for artichokes. Don't be intimidated by them if you are unfamiliar with their charms! Look for them at markets and good produce departments. They are delicious and nutritious and considered by many to be a spring tonic. I buy it; they look like thistles and in my book, that makes them medicinal.

Here is my recipe:

Take as many small artichokes as you want to eat. (buy small, firm, fresh, squeaky ones) We eat about 5 or 6 each, as a simple light meal or lunch.
~ trim off stem and top fifth or so of each choke
~ place in acidulated water while you trim the rest (2 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice in a large bowl of water) otherwise the cut parts will turn an ugly gray-brown colour...
~ steam in an inch or two of water, covered, 8 - 10 minutes, until a skewer easily pierces the thick part...
~ melt some butter with lemon juice and a spoonful of mustard; whisk together... the mustard is an emulsifier;)
~ sit with someone you love and eat the artichokes leaf by leaf. Dip each leaf in the butter mixture and scrape the good stuff off with your lower teeth. As the leaves get smaller, you will eat more and more of them until you get to the inner heart of the artichoke. This you smother in butter, then eat the whole damn thing.

Warning: they are addictive. Also, they contain a chemical that makes everything taste kind of sweet after eating them. How fun!