A feast for the taste buds.
A feast for the eyes.
The baby artichokes are from Trader Joe's and the big purple blooming artichoke is from my garden.   Read on about both!

Baby Artichokes

Many people aren't sure how to eat these little guys.  They're in season right now and at TJ's, you can buy a big container of them in the produce section.  They are miniature artichokes..about 2-3 inches long and come maybe 15-20 to a container.

You don't eat them like a big artichoke by peeling each leaf and scraping the end off with your teeth.  That would be kind of like the scene in Big where Tom Hanks holds a baby corn by the ends and nibbles along the side as though it were a corn on the cob.  You know what I'm talking about, right?

You prep them by removing the outer layers of tough green leaves until you get to the greenish-yellow tender leaves on the inside.  (Just like in the photo above.)  Then trim off the top and trim off the stem.  Optional: if you take a long time, they tend to oxidize just slightly (the cut edges will begin to brown).  To prevent this, you can toss them into a bowl of water with the juice of one lemon until you're ready to steam them.

When you've finished prepping them all, place them in a steamer.  Steam for about 15 minutes or until they are tender.  Then you eat them whole in a bite or two!  No peeling, nothing.    Unlike big artichokes, these babies don't have the choke (the hairy part near the heart), so they are completely edible.   Dip them in lemon-butter or olive-balsamic sauce, or enjoy them plain. 

Artichoke Blooms

At the other end of the artichoke life cycle is the artichoke bloom.  This big, bright, beautiful bloom (about 10 inches across) is from my front yard.  We eat about half the artichokes from the plant and leave the other half to bloom.  They are stunning, and I literally have people knocking on my door to ask, "WHAT is that purple flower?!?"   If you're looking for something unusual (and multi-purpose) for your garden, try an artichoke plant.