Do you love artichokes?

Remember the days when we use to dip our artichoke leaves into butter or mayo.  OMG...... so not necessary.  Why not enjoy the authentic taste of the beautiful artichoke as it is!     Here's how I prepare them in summer.  First, using a kitchen scissors, I trim off the thorny stickers (the tips of the leaves), then using a very sharp knife I cut them in half from tip to bottom (heart) making sure to cut in half through the stem too (if there is a stem). Then I place them in a steamer pot with 3-4 inches of water, bring to a boil, then steam for approx 35-40 minutes.  I remove them from the pot when they are still a slight bit firm, (just slightly softened). (I test by sticking a toothpick into the heart).   Let rest a few minutes, then I remove the inner fibers.  I do this with a serrated grapefruit spoon or a knife or even a standard vegetable peeler making it easy to dig out those fibers with the right tool, yes!  Then I fire up my grill to high.  I brush the cut side/the flat part of each artichoke with EVOO, then I put it on the grill, turning grill down to medium-high.  I grill for about 3-5 minutes then I flip the chokes over (noticing the beautiful grill marks) and grill a few more minutes.  Voila!  grilled artichokes!  For those of you who love garlic you can press 1-2 cloves into a bowl, add a few teaspoons of EVOO, a touch of salt, then whisk well and use that to baste your chokes before grilling.  (do not use chopped garlic.....it will burn.)  (use pressed  garlic mixed into the oil.)