Artichokes are everywhere and cheap right now! My local Trader Joe’s has so many it feels like Castroville, where, I’m told, there are so many artichokes they grow off of fence posts. Artichokes taste great, and help slow you down to appreciate what you’re eating. Picking off each leaf and scraping with your teeth is very satisfying, and at the end you get the wonderful heart and stem. Best of all, if you’re on Weight Watchers they are 0 points for one.
If you have only tried eating artichokes dipping the leaves into something fatty, try them all on their own; I don’t think they need anything to make them taste fantastic. All I do is put a little lemon juice on them before cooking so they don’t get too discolored. I make a few at a time, so they’re ready whenever I am.
If you’ve never prepared an artichoke, they can be a little intimidating–when was the last time you ate a thistle? But they aren’t hard; I found this video that shows how to trim them and get out the fuzzy choke. How do you like your artichokes?
