An Ode to the Artichoke.

A couple of years ago, I had the lovely opportunity to attend the Artichoke Festival in Castroville, California (it’s a quaint farm town a short drive south of Santa Cruz). At that point, I had never really eaten a full artichoke, but I’d always had a deep and abiding love for artichoke hearts and dips.

At the festival, that all changed. I tried artichoke in its many forms (deep-fried, cupcake, etc.), but it was the steamed artichoke with a delicious dipping sauce that captured my taste buds and, afterwards, became my favorite dinner treat for nights spent busily reading and writing for class.

The beauty of the artichoke, for me, lies in its ease:

Cooking one is simple; all you really need is a pair of scissors to cut off the tips of the leaves, and a pot large enough to house said artichoke in a bit of water to boil and/or steam. Then, once it’s cooked, You can simply douse it in butter or olive oil and eat the leaves right off.

This particular method was very handy for me when I was beginning new essays and stories and needed to fortify myself. And, whenever it came time to get to the heart of the artichoke, scraping off the prickly part provided me with the perfect ten minute break.

Where I like to get fancy, though, is in the fun and delectable dipping sauces. My favorite is a simple lemon aioli sauce, but I’ve heard lore of spicy cayenne pepper sauces, which I plan on trying next.

For those of you who are like the me of a few years ago, I encourage—no, I implore you—to try an artichoke. And if you’ve already fallen in love with this other type of leafy green, what are your favorite cooking and eating methods? Got any other snack suggestions as we begin Camp?

— Shelby

Photo by Flickr user foodiesathome.com.