Artichokes!

These guys are crazy. They're pretty. They're poky. And they taste good! I have been eating artichokes since I was a kid. Years ago I lived in the Bay Area. Each trip made to Monterey was done so by driving through fields of artichokes. I love the rows of plants with their beautiful, thistly flowers poking their heads out. There are roadside places offering fried artichokes, fresh artichokes, artichoke this & artichoke that. And it always started a craving.

The design of these strange vegetables is a thing of wonder. Layers & layers of thorny leaves nestled around the soft hairy stuff that seems to stand watch over the heart of this flower. And then there's the taste...

How do you describe the taste? They seem like some distant relative in the broccoli or cauliflower family, don't they? There is a meaty, heartiness to them. So unlike a crisp, cool cucumber. The polar opposite of a sweet, soft tomato. They are their own creature. I love them.

I have always eaten them boiled then dipped in mayo, which admittedly sounds disgusting. But it just works. However, recently I threw some garlic, lemon juice, egg yolk, olive oil, salt & pepper in the food processor, and came up with something like a lemony, garlicky, mayo. Good lord, It worked!

SO, if you have some other exciting artichoke possibilities with which I can feed my artichoke cravings, do tell....