Sometimes we walk through the produce section and I let my kids pick out one fruit or vegetable that looks interesting to them. This week, they grabbed an artichoke! Somehow, I have never cooked a whole artichoke before, so I was excited for this new challenge.

It turned out way easier than I expected, and my 5 year old ate half an artichoke for breakfast and then asked to have the rest in their lunch box that day. We discussed how beautiful the artichoke was, how funny it was that it looked like a flower, we investigated which parts were edible and had fun finding the “meat” on the leaves, and used the raw artichoke as a microphone for a little karaoke.

In my opinion, the dip is crucial and should not be left out. It is a perfect, bright complement to the earthy artichoke. You can also serve with melted garlic butter, which is delicious as well.

Steamed Artichoke with Fresh Lemon Dip

Ingredients

1-4 fresh whole artichokes

1/4 cup plain yogurt

Juice from 1/2 lemon

1/2 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon lemon zest

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot with 1 inch of water to boil. Place a steamer basket inside and cover.
2. Cut off top 1-2 inches of artichoke with a sharp knife.
3. Snip any sharp points your artichoke leaves may have.
4. Cut off the bottom stem. It’s okay if you take a couple leaves with you. These won’t have much meat on them anyway.
5. Peel the stem.
6. Add cleaned artichoke and stem to a steamer basket. Steam for 30 minutes or until artichokes are soft.
7. While artichoke is steaming, make sauce. Add yogurt, lemon juice, mustard, and salt to a small bowl. Sprinkle zest on top for added color and a punch of flavor.
8. Serve artichoke warm.
9. Show your child how to peel off an artichoke leaf, dip it in the lemon sauce, and use your bottom teeth to scrape off the “meat” of the artichoke on the inside bottom portion of the leaf.