Artichokes top the list when it comes to my favorite plants to grow in my garden. They are just so beautiful. They begin as tight buds and, if not harvested, end up as brilliant purple flowers. Between those stages is a point at which they are best picked, when they can be steamed until tender and the leaves can be pulled off one by one to be dipped in butter and the soft bits scraped off with your teeth or a fork. I think everything about them is really lovely. And let’s be honest, they’re also just a really great vehicle for eating butter.
| PREP: 15 minutes | COOK: under 30 minutes | COOL: none |
4 globe artichokes
1 tablespoon kosher salt
½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons oil from a jar of sun-dried tomatoes, or extra virgin olive oil (optional)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1. Cut off the top ½ inch of the artichokes and use scissors to trim the tops of the outer leaves. Cut off all but ½ inch of the stem from the base.
2. In a wide, deep pot with a steamer insert or fitted with an expandable steamer basket, bring 2 inches of water and the salt to a boil. Add the artichokes to the steamer insert or basket, cover, and steam until a thin, sharp knife easily slides into the base and the leaves are easy to pull out, about 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat or in a glass measuring cup in the microwave. Stir in the oil (if using), lemon juice, garlic, and garlic salt and whisk to combine. Divide among 4 small individual ramekins.
4. Serve 1 artichoke and a ramekin of garlic butter to each person. To eat, pull the artichoke leaves out individually, dip them into the butter, and scrape the leaf against your teeth to remove the soft part. (Place a couple bowls around the table to collect the scraped leaves.) When you are finished with all the leaves, trim away and discard the thinnest leaves and silky choke until you’re left with the artichoke heart, which is edible (and some say the very best part).
5. Artichokes are best eaten the day they are cooked.
Makes 4 servings