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“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” – Leonardo DaVinci

I used to be scared of, but equally intrigued by fresh globe artichokes.  I bought one once and deconstructed it leaf by leaf until all that remained was the woody stem -  just so I could get my head around the idea of them. I mean – there must be a reason why they call them artiCHOKEs! They are fiberous and woody when fresh, and look completely inedible!

A while ago I was chatting to a foreign lass (I forget where she was from, but she was ‘continental’ as they used to say!) and she told me the best way to eat an artichoke is to steam it, then rip off each leaf from the globe, dip it in vinegar and scrape the soft flesh from each fiberous leaf with one’s teeth! It just sounded so delightfully primative!

While I was purchasing my artichoke today, the young lady behind the counter asked me what it was, I told her, and then she asked if it was a Jerusalem Artichoke. I thought I might mention it in here too – because they are very different vegetables. Globe Artichokes are flowers, and Jerusalem Artichokes are a root stock of a completely different plant. They look a little like ginger root, and can be used in a similar way to potato.

Ingredients
Globe Artichoke (Choose an artichoke that has tightly formed leaves – they are fresher)
Vinegar (I used a mix of Malt and Balsamic)

Method

Steam the artichoke for about 30-40 minutes, or until the outer leaves pull away easily.

Then, pull a leaf off, dip in vinegar, and scrape the soft flesh off the leaf with your top teeth. 

And repeat. Make sure you eat the heart of the artichoke – it is truly delicious, and is a lovely end to this messy artichoke-eating experience!