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Carciofi (Artichokes) a la Kathryn




Source of Recipe


Kathryn Lewis (my husband's grandmother)






Recipe Introduction


So today I was at the grocery store, keeping a special eye out for bargains because, as new homeowners, we're trying to save some money. I saw a special on artichokes; they were only 99 cents a piece! So I got two of them, having no idea what to do with them but hoping I'd figure something out. As it turns out, Rich - who is not an especially enthusiastic eater of veggies - LOVES artichokes, and he recalled a recipe that his grandmother used to fix for him and his siblings when they were kids. This really brought back fond memories for him, and that always makes me happy.

Anyway - the recipe is very simple, and although I think this is more appetizer-y in nature, it could easily be a quickie snack.





List of Ingredients



• artichokes - one per person
  
• butter - as much or as little as you like, but enough to dip your little artichoke leaves into (you'll see what I mean)
  
• And you'll need a serrated knife and a pair of good kitchen shears.
  






Instructions



1. Pick off any leaves that are very dry/tough/crunchy. They'll be a darker color than that nice, rich green.
   
2. Using a serrated knife - I used a big bread knife - saw off the top pointy part of the artichoke (about 1 inch off the top).
   
3. Using that same knife, saw off the stalk, too. You want to keep the heart intact, though, so don't get over-happy with your stalk-sawing!
   
4. Use your kitchen shears to nip off the pointy ends of the outer leaves. Actually, it's debatable whether or not you actually need to do this since the outer leaves don't have much in the way of edible parts on them, but you may want to do this for "comfort." (Again, you'll see what I'm talking about in a minute.)
   
5. Get out a pot, one that's deep/wide enough to accommodate the artichokes when sitting with their little green butts on the bottom of the pot (i.e., you can't just pile them in). Fill the pot with about two inches of water. Dash in some salt and bring it to a good boil.
   
6. When the water's boiling, arrange the artichokes in the pot as described above (sitting on their bottoms, leaves pointing up), cover, and let them steam for about twelve minutes.
   
7. You'll know when they're finished when you can easily poke a fork into the bottom where the stalk was.
   
8. While your 'chokes are boiling, you can melt some butter to go with it for dipping. Some prefer drawn butter; some just like plain old melted butter. A healthier alternative might be to make a balsamic/olive oil combination for dipping, complete with a mashed bulb of sweet roasted garlic.
   
9. As to how to eat these... well, I'm sorry to say that at first, it's not very gratifying. The idea is to peel off the leaves, dip the bottom ends in whatever you choose, and then nibble the bottom part of the leaf off. The outer leaves do tend to be tough, so the payoff at first is very slight - just the very bottom tip. As you keep peeling and progressing, however, the leaves become progressively more supple, sweeter, and increasingly more edible. By the end, when you reach the very center, you will easily be able to eat the entire succulent leaves.
   
10. You can also eat the heart, too. Try to avoid the fuzzy stuff. It's not bad, and it won't hurt you, but it's not nearly as yummy as the leaves/heart.
    






Final Comments


If anyone gets any sharp ideas about stuff to dip the artichoke leaves in, I'm open to suggestions as always!