Artichokes are grown primarily in California. They are the bud of a large plant from the thistle family. They are delicious eaten fresh but are also available canned. This recipe uses canned artichokes but you can use fresh if you want to cook them.
Ingredients:
3 cups mixed lettuce
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 cup artichoke hearts
1/2 cup sliced mushroom
salt and pepper, to taste
Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup dill flavored vinegar
1 cup virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
salt and pepper, to taste
1 medium lemon, zest and juiced
1 medium dill weed sprigs, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon dill seed
Instructions:
Slice mushrooms. Slice tomatoes or leave them whole if they are smaller. Toss salad greens with tomatoes, artichoke hearts and mushrooms.
Make vinaigrette by whisking together oil and vinegar. Add remaining ingredients. Pour over salad right before serving.
Cooking Wiser
If you are unable to find dill flavored vinegar, you can make it at home by heating 3 cups of white wine vinegar with 3 peppercorns, l/2 teaspoon dill seeds and a few fresh dill sprigs for 15 minutes on medium high heat. Strain and cool. Add 1 fresh dill sprig to bottle and pour in the vinegar to store.
To eat fresh cooked artichoke, break off the leaves one by one and draw the base of the leaf through your teeth to remove the soft portion, discarding the remainder of the leaf. Discard the inedible prickly center choke. The bottom of the artichoke can also be eaten.