Whoever discovered the edibility of artichokes must have been persistent because it's not readily apparent which parts of the artichoke are good to eat, the sharp thorns on the leaves can be daunting and there's very little on the mature vegetable that is edible.
The artichoke is a thistle that grows on a long, sturdy stem away from the main body of the plant. The stem has one large artichoke at its tip and several smaller ones along the length. If picked when very young, the whole artichoke can be eaten but if allowed to mature, the leaves become tough and fibrous. On the leaves, only the very base is eaten - the small amount of tender flesh can be scraped off with the teeth or with a spoon. The leaves become more tender towards the middle, and a larger amount is edible. At the centre is a mass of tough fibres - the choke - that covers its sweet, delicious heart.
When buying artichokes, look for fresh-looking, tightly-closed leaves that are evenly green (or green shaded with purple). To prepare them, rinse thoroughly between the many layers of leaves, which occasionally harbour bugs and worms. Trim off the stem so the artichoke sits flat, and pull off the small leaves at the base. The trimmed parts will darken when exposed to air, so put the vegetable in acidulated water (water with vinegar or fresh lemon juice) until ready to cook. If you want just the heart, use a paring knife to trim off the leaves, gradually working your way in and following the contour of the heart, then use a small spoon to scrape out the choke.
The easiest way to cook whole artichokes is to boil them: place stem side-down in a pan containing about 3cm of water, bring to the boil then lower the heat. Cover the pan and simmer until the heart can be easily pierced with a sharp paring knife. Drain them upside-down in a colander then serve with a dipping sauce of mayonnaise, hollandaise or warm butter. For stuffed artichokes, use a large knife to cut off the top one-third of the vegetable. Pull aside the leaves at the centre to expose the choke and scrape it out with a spoon. Mix dry breadcrumbs with lemon juice and zest, olive oil, chopped fresh herbs (parsley with a little oregano or thyme), minced garlic, shallots and grated parmesan cheese. Stuff the mixture into the artichoke's cavity and between the remaining leaves.
Place them in a baking tray with about 2cm of water, cover loosely with foil and steam-bake until the artichoke is tender. Add more water to the pan if needed.
