Amazingly -- even though a good portion of artichokes are inedible and preparing them is a somewhat arduous task -- artichokes are ridiculously versatile, and they're wonderful cooked any number of ways, with any number of other ingredients.
Steaming or Boiling Artichokes
Artichokes look unlike any other vegetable -- they're actually a type of thistle -- and they can be a lot of fun to eat if you steam or boil them in salted water, which is how most people have had them. They take quite a bit longer to cook than most vegetables; you'll know they're done when an outer leaf pulls away easily from the base, which will take anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes, sometimes even longer. The outer leaves will remain mostly fibrous but contain flavorful meat at their base that you scrape off with your teeth (preferably after dipping in olive oil, melted butter, vinaigrette, or mayonnaise), while the inner leaves are fully edible. And once you strip away all the leaves, you're left with the wonderfully tender, silky, and flavorful heart and stem.
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