crossing a culinary rubicon

Arthichokes! Love the way they look, love the way they grow, love eating them. The flaccid yellow ones from the deli, that is. But home grown?

Anyway, now in their second season, the plants are suddenly sprouting big fat bulbs. So took the plunge and started with simply boiling them. Pared stems, sliced off tops, and boiled in vinegared water. Didn't trim the pointy tips that many of the recipes describes, as my bulbs didn't seem to have them.

Anyway, didn't take long to get the hang of the scrape-n-swallow routine with the leaves. Very tasty indeed. And despite being described as fiddly, the preperation was pretty straightforward and forgiving, the boiling hassle-free, and the eating - propped in front of the telly with the beloved - happily slow and messy.

Looks like the artichokes are staying in!