| These are the ripest. Cut off the stem just where it starts to widen at the base of the artichoke, so that it can sit flat. If you want, you can keep the stem and peel it and throw it in to cook with the artichokes. It tastes similar to the heart. Cut the top /3 of the artichoke off (the pointy part) and trim the tips off the leaves. I think Maime did this to get rid of all the thorns. Pull the artichoke open some from the center and pull out as much thistle choke as you can out of the center. Do not cut it out or you can damage the heart. Rinse out a few times under cold running water. Peel and thinly slice the garlic and use about / cloves to put in among the leaves of the artichoke. Lightly salt the middle of the artichoke and put a small amount of parsley in the center. Pour a tablespoon of oil over the parsley. Put artichokes in a pan deep enough to cover them and put water in to about inch from top of artichoke. I put about a teaspoon of salt in the water. Cover with lid and cook on medium heat until soft. This should take about an hour, but if the artichokes aren't very ripe, it can take forever. To see if they are ripe, pull away a few bottom leaves and taste to see how soft they are. Don't do this too often or you won't have any artichoke left. I serve one per person but usually hear complaints, so I make a few extra. |