artichokes

They're so lovely.  Just sayin'.

I love steaming artichokes and dipping the leaves (and the heart, of course) into my homemade dijon vinaigrette.

The way to steam artichokes is to fill a pot with about 1-2 inches of water and then place the artichokes face up in the pot.  Put the heat on high until the water comes to a boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer.  Close the lid and steam the artichokes for about 30 mins.  You know they're re done once you can easy pluck out one of leaves.

I have them with a vinaigrette made from dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, olive oil, salt & pepper.

How to eat steamed artichokes:  

1) pluck out a leaf starting from the outside

2) dip the bottom of the leaf into your vinaigrette

3) scrape the bottom of the leaf with your teeth

4) continue steps 1-3 until you get to the heart

5) pull out the hairy part at the top of the heart

6) dip the artichoke heart into your vinaigrette and enjoy your prize!