My favorite way to serve large globe artichokes is steamed or boiled, cooled to room temperature, gently pried open to look like a blooming lotus flower, then drizzled with homemade vinaigrette that reaches right down to the heart. Or, I sometimes put the vinaigrette in a tiny dish and I dip the wider base of the leaves, one by one, into the sauce before scraping the nub of pulp with my teeth.

Watching others eat artichokes is almost as fun as eating them myself. I can tell the control freaks by how they neurotically stack their leaves in neat piles, all the same height, concentrically around the edges of their plate (I’m guilty, I admit). And then there are the slobs, whose leaves get scattered about like debris after a storm.

I always remind my children that reaching the inner sanctum of the artichoke is the fun part. We take time to marvel over nature’s amazing security system: endless overlapping layers of needle-tipped leaves protecting a soft, delicate heart. As one of my children aptly noted, “No animal could ever reach this part.” I walk them through the gentle process of pulling off the tender, light green, smaller leaves concealing the spiky choke. We cut the cone-shaped heart in half, then using our fingers, carefully pull off the hairs to expose the “bumpy part” of the heart, as they call it. We slice this, and dip it in the vinaigrette too.

Apart from being loads of fun to eat, artichokes are a powerhouse of antioxidants, vitamin C, magnesium, potassium and fiber. For more information visit http://www.oceanmist.com/health/vitamin.aspx

Vinaigrette for Artichokes
Makes about ½ cup (enough for 4 artichokes)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar (or your favorite)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Tiny pinch of sugar
1 tablespoon full-bodied olive oil
5 tablespoons canola oil

Mix the mustard, vinegar, salt, pepper, and sugar in a small bowl, then whisk in the olive oil and canola oil. Adjust the seasoning. Whisk again before serving.

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