we are the proud recipients of 2 artichoke deals
they were used as a center piece

i seem to remember micro waving them & dipping in butter
then suck the center out of leaf

any ideas

We eat the heck out of them when in season.

I prefer boiling in a large pot, with a cloth in the water over them. Time will vary as to size and quantity. but when you can pull an outer leaf off easily their done.

Microwaving works too, but the leaves tend to get hard after they cool down. Place one in a microwave bowl with water covering about 1/4 of the bud. cover with loose "saran" wrap. microwave for 4 minutes and check leaf, repeat for 4 minutes until leafs pull of easily.

If you want, trim the leaf needles before cooking.

Pull the leaves and dip in melted butter, and then scrape the soft "leaf" meat with your teeth. continue until getting to the really soft inner leaves, pull the whole clump off remove the inner leafs and dip the end in butter and eat the soft tip, then scrape the fuzz off the artichoke heart trim back the bottom stem let it soak in the butter and and then eat it too.

Enjoy, we just had some last Wednesday and I may have to make a trip to the store.

Garlic Artichoke pizza from Fratelli's....Da bomb!