What is one vegetable that people have eaten canned but rarely fresh?

Since it is #MeatlessMonday, let’s talk about artichokes.

What is your favorite way to prepare and eat them?

In all seriousness, one of my favorite vegetables is artichoke, and my preferred way to eat them is to steam and then grill though steaming and eating the leaves is fantastic too.

It is pretty straightforward, boil water, trim the stems, place in a steamer container; when the leaf comes off easy, it is done. Time varies based on how big the artichoke is though it can be as long as 60 minutes.

Now here comes the fun part… as you peel the leaves off, they can be dipped into something. And I do love my sauces….. so in essence, the leaves can be the basis for gathering up the sauce. YEAH!!

Once the leaves are all peel off, you come to the heart that is covered by thistles. You can use a spoon to scrape the thistles out of the artichoke gently. And VIOLA and the “heart” is left…. This is epically delicious with lemon, rosemary/spices, and olive oil. A bite to savor, for sure.

I’ll share this week some images of a recent artichoke farm I went to.

Blog Posts with Focus On Local, Seasonal Food in Phoenix

Listed below are all recent blog entries with tutorials. These entries use the freshest of ingredients from your local farmer’s market or garden.