Yes, I have to admit that I have feelings for this lady!! I consider her a beautiful flower, so impressive that I feel guilty spoiling her. As much as I admire her highness, we haven’t been friends until now. I am sure there was something about her appearance that kept me away from her, or it was just that I knew how difficult she would make my life! I decided that I would take the challenge to meet her and become her friend, so naive to order 150 pieces of this beautiful flower!!

I gathered precious tips, read a lot of recipes and rolled up my sleeves to embark on this journey. I must admit it was tough. It took me two full afternoons just to clean them.

As my favorite recipe is the one with the artichoke in olive oil, with the best ever recipe “wild artichokes from Tinos island” -  Cyclades islind -  that was my first goal! "Artichokes in oil with lemon zest, grounded pepper, and sea salt flakes”!

I made several jars - half were with boiled artichokes and the other half were boiled and grilled, which had a beautifully smoked flavor. Jars are on their way to my beloved food experts, friends and family for the final tasting!

Although I am very happy from our first encounter with this beautiful, tough veggie, I feel that there is something more to do and that the result should be more magnificent because this beautiful flower is just worth it!! I feel that there is still room for improvement. That is why I record this experience as only the beginning of my friendship with the artichoke.

To be continued …..