Eating the globe... globe artichoke, that is

by Nicole Weston, Posted May 15th 2006 @ 9:02AM

Sarah posted that she was surprised to see such large globe artichokes when she was out shopping, but as an artichoke fan, I have been enjoying these for some time. They are significantly larger than your average 'choke - that is my chef's knife in the photo below for a size comparison - and they are so satisfying that they can actually serve as a light meal. The only downside is that you have to dedicate a whole, large pot to steaming one, so it's best to either only prepare one at a time as an appetizer for a group or a snack for yourself.

Since I have found globes to be a bit tougher than smaller artichokes are, I find that the best way to prepare them is by steaming. Slice off the tough bottom leaves and any prickly top edges with a large knife and rinse your artichoke well. Put it in a pot and add water 1/3 of the way up the side of the artichoke. Cover and bring to a boil, continuing until the artichoke is tender and you can pull a leaf off with relative ease. These large artichokes take about 1 hour to cook. Serve with your favorite artichoke dip.

[Photos by Nicole Weston]