The rain is pouring on the San Francisco streets this weekend, a damp reminder that winter has not finished its annual ravage of our spirits. As we head for March though, there are a few early signs that the warmer, lighter days of Spring are coming. One early arriving bloom is the appearance of fresh local California artichokes in the grocery store.Artichokes are quite literally the blossoms of the thistle plant Cynara cardunculus, and have been cultivated in the Mediterranean since ancient times. We are lucky in Northern California to be in close proximity to Castroville, where the majority of the artichokes in the United States are grown. When they are coming into season, they are large, with a thick stem (the choke) and very green.
Italian, French, Greek, Spanish and California cuisines all have delicious ways of eating an artichoke. One of my favorite ways to enjoy this edible flower is the simplest.
Steamed Artichokes with Lemon and Chives
2 - 4 medium to large sized artichokes
3 cups water
2 lemons
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
handful chopped fresh chives
Manicuring first is key to the simple elegance of steamed artichokes. With a knife, slice the stems so that each artichoke can sit up levelly on its own. Cut the tops off evenly with a knife, about halfway through the middle. The final step for a perfectly pruned artichoke is to take a pair of kitchen scissors and cut off the tips of all the thorny exterior leaves. Truly, they will begin to look like a thing from a 17th Century still life painting when done.
At this point, it is of the essence to have one of the lemons ready to rub over all the cuts you have made to the artichoke. Slice off a wedge of lemon, then rub the juice over the artichoke stems and leaves to prevent those beautiful leaves from turning brown.
To steam, simply place them in a tall pot containing 2 to 3 cups of water with the rest of the lemon. Bring the water to a simmer and steam them with a lid on the pot for 20 - 30 minutes. In order for the artichokes to be truly tender, you will want them to lose their brightness and turn that earthy green color that you usually don't want broccoli to turn.
As the artichokes finish, you will want to melt the butter and finely chop the chives for the dipping sauce. Portion into ramekins, squeeze half a lemon in each and finish with a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.
Then the amazing part begins. You start on the tougher outer leaves, eating off the tender bits of the choke on the bottom. You peel through the layers, each leave getting more and more tender, lathered in the buttery lemony goodness. You are fascinated, and your mouth is singing.
At last you get to the heart itself. You must first remove the hairy purple and white stamen in the middle by scraping it off with a spoon or knife. Once you do, you have found the holy grail. The heart of an artichoke is truly one of the most tender, delicious tastes of all the tastes available to the human mouth. The string quartet kicks into Vivaldi's Four Seasons, and you are sent into a classic moment of ecstatic pleasure savoring that early first taste of Spring.
