They say that if you grab a thistle quickly enough its barbs won’t sting you - no one is actually fast enough, but it’s a great trick to play on city slickers. Personally, I prefer savoring my thistles and lingering over each bite. And by “thistles” I mean artichokes, which are the flower buds of a large thistle that originated in the Mediterranean and are particularly popular in Italy and France.

Selecting
A tough vegetable, artichokes can put up with a lot of abuse and keep well in the fridge. Ideally an artichoke should be very tight (a loose artichoke indicates it getting ready to bloom and will be tough). The color should be olive green and don’t be overly concerned with brown/purple splotches on the leaves - you’ll peel those off and discard them anyway - but do look for and avoid artichokes where the leaf tips are shriveled.

Eating
Typically these large globes are steamed, often over water flavored with lemon juice and white wine. Artichokes are usually served whole and the leaves (petals, actually) are peeled off, dipped in a sauce, and then you scrape the flesh off of the inedible leaf between your teeth. At the center you find a mass of spines that need to be cut out leaving you with the piece de resistance, the heart and stem.

The most common sauce is melted butter and lemon juice - often flavored with herbs. But Hollandaise, aioli, and even plain mayonnaise are popular sauces.

Serving

My quick artichoke sauce:
1/2 cup mayonnaise (Hellmans or Best Buy)
2 cloves pan-roasted garlic, minced
1/2 - 1 tsp hot Spanish paprika