ARTICHOKE

«a plant resembling a large thistle, cultivated for its flowering head, gathered before the flower expands. It grows readily in California and the South. In spef ™, cial varieties the head attains an enormous “ J ~~. size—up to a circumference of three to In color the bud-scales are variously i ',: greenish, bluish, violet, brownish; red, ete. i, The chief edible portions are the fleshy part x “, of the calyx—the ‘‘bottom,’’ or basin, of the 4 a“ jade blo om—and the bases of the leaves of the ) / flower. The flesh corresponds to what chilpI dren call the ‘‘cheese’’ of the ordinary thistle.: —? 4 As eaten here, it is generally steamed or ‘ boiled before serving, but in Hurope it is also popular raw, seasoned only with salt and pepper. Artichoke head—showing the edible base, or In Italy, dried artichokes axe consumed in *“bottom,’’ or ‘“heart’? large quantities in soups, and in France the bottoms are a popular ingredient of ragouts. The blanched Jeaves and the central: stalk, the latter cut into strips, are also eaten in soups and otherwise. If cut so as to leave an inch or two of stem, artichokes po e good keeping qualities, frequently remaining fresh for two weeks or longer under average conditions. The small buds are used chiefly for garnishing. Canned artichokes, principally the bottoms, or ‘‘fonds’’, only, are imported in large quantities from Italy and France. The novice is sometimes in doubt as to the proper method of eating a whole artichoke. First, steadying it lightly with the fingers of the left hand, pull the leaves off one at a time with a finger and the thumb of the right; then, retaining the leaf by its point, dip the thick white end in the butter or other sauce and gently pull it between the teeth, thus removing its delicate ‘‘meat’’ and Jeaving it where it belongs—in the mouth. Taking the leaves exposes the bottom, or ‘‘heart,’’ the choicest part of the artichoke, which is cut and earried to the mouth with a fork—after removing the “‘choke”’ (the hairy growth upon it) if perchance in home preparation it has not heen scooped or cut off before cooking (or after a preliminary parboiling), or before serving. - The Japanese (or Chinese) ArticHoke and the Jerusatem ArtTicHOKE have no relation to the true artichoke. They are treated in their alphabetical positions.