Despite its abundance in Europe, the artichoke remains a mostly misunderstood and mysterious vegetable here in the United States. Most of us have encountered the artichoke in some form, either pickled in an antipasto or served as an appetizer in the ubiquitous artichoke-spinach dip. Many, however, when presented with an artichoke in its whole form, look upon it with befuddlement.The artichoke is of the thistle family of plants, and the part we eat is actually the flower bud from the ferny artichoke plant. Each artichoke head consists of numerous, rough outer petals, called bracts, that can be stripped away to reveal the flavorful, meaty bottom, called the "heart."

The plant is believed to have originated in Northern Africa, and it made its way around the Mediterranean in the 15th century, gaining popularity in Italy and later in France. In the United States, California leads the country in its production. Artichokes are so popular there that those who find themselves in Castroville, CA in late May can participate in the yearly Artichoke Festival, a wild weekend filled with fun artichoke-related activities.

To get to really know the artichoke, one must enjoy it in its most simple form: whole. In order to cook it, first chop off the stalk on the bottom as close to the head as possible, but without actually cutting the head. Then, using a very sharp or serrated knife, cut about a half-inch off the top of the artichoke. In a large pot, boil about one-and-a-half cups of water, and place the artichokes in the pot. Cover, reduce to a simmer and steam the artichokes for 30-40 minutes, depending how large your artichokes are.

Consumption of the artichokes, which is rather fun, will require some strong front teeth. Remove the artichokes from the water, and pour some of your favorite salad dressing or vinaigrette in a small bowl. Remove some of the rougher, outer leaves and discard. One-by-one, remove each petal and dip the bottom part in your dressing. Scrape the meaty part off the leaf with your teeth, which will leave the tough part of the petal to be discarded. Repeat until the petals are gone, revealing a weird, inedible, bristly substance known as the "choke." Scrape that off with a knife, and enjoy the artichoke heart, which is all that will remain.

For a special artichoke treat, stuff them! Prepare the artichoke heads just as if you were to steam them. Then smash the tops against a hard surface, which will help open them up to allow space for stuffing. Spritz the lemon juice over the opened heads. Prepare the stuffing by mixing together the breadcrumbs, the parsley, the cheese, the garlic and the mushrooms. Add salt and pepper to taste. Carefully stuff each artichoke with as much filling as possible, making sure to get it in between the leaves. Place the artichokes standing upright in a baking pan that is just large enough to fit them. Drizzle the olive oil over each one liberally, making sure it gets absorbed into the stuffing. Pour one cup of water into the base of the pan, and then cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake the artichokes in a preheated 325-degree oven for 1 hour and 45 minutes, after which they will be tender and ready to enjoy.


Stuffed Artichokes
-4 large artichokes
-Juice from 1/2 Lemon
-1 cup breadcrumbs
-1/2 cup shredded Romano Cheese
-4 Crimini mushrooms, minced
-4 cloves garlic, minced
-5 tbsp olive oil