Artichoke (Cynara cardunculus)
I love artichoke season. So yummy - simply steamed served with a little melted butter. These were taken last June while waiting for a table at PF Chang's in Stanford Mall.
Long-stemmed purple and green artichokes are often available at the San Francisco Flower Mart.
Tracy and I used them in this Della Robbia arrangement a while back.
Thanks again to Lisa for hosting Macro Monday. Visit her to see her daring entry and other Macro Monday photos.
20 comments:
I love artichokes too, but have never seen them blooming. Lovely!
I too have never seen them blooming. Great captures and thanks for sharing!
I had no idea that artichokes were so beautiful! They look like giant thistles!
I still don't like to eat them though. I know, I'm in the minority, probably!
That's what they look like blooming?!!! Gorgeous!
I've never seen an artichoke bloom before this, and they are so beautiful. Love those flower arrangement too,the red hairy pod- is that the lipstick plant? we have those commonly found here.
Dear CC,
I also think they look wonderful in bloom. The color is so striking!
Dear Kala,
Thank you! The sun was shining on them at a perfect angle; I just had to capture them.
Dear Jay,
You are absolutely correct, they are indeed thistles. I'm so sorry you don't eat artichokes, they are so delicious and healthy too.
Dear Susan,
Yup, that's what they look like. When they are completely bloomed out, the thistle dries into a huge dandelionesque golden pom-pom.
Dear Jama,
Artichokes love to grow in foggy conditions which is probably why you never saw them in Singapore.
Yes, that is a lipstick fruit. It is very similar in appearance to the rambutan fruit we used to eat in Indonesia. I bet you have them in Singapore too.
Welcome to Dutchbaby!
Artichokes are incredible, DB. Now I want to go find one. Do you remember them in the Dutch markets?? Or maybe it's not the season here yet? Hmmm. I will definitely look. One artichoke is sometimes all my daughter would eat for lunch or supper before she got married!
All lovely, but I'm a purple lover so thanks for those lush shots!
Love artichokes! Your arrangement is beautiful! When I was a girl growing up in San Jose it was such a treat to have artichokes for dinner.
OMG, they are incredible. I've never seen them like this either. They must be related to thistles?? (I am so ignorant.)
Every photo is eye candy, and the Delia Robbia arrangement is breathtaking.
I love artichokes but always wonder if maybe it is just that I'm sitting with a bowl of butter in front of me while I eat them.
Ohh lala! I love this post. Artichokes = yum. Oddly enough, they were a staple for me when i lived in the dorms in college, weird huh? There's a house a few blocks away that has artichokes growing in their tiny front yard, i love walking by it :) Great post and pictures. Now i'm hungry!
I have no idea that artichokes have flowers..Those are just so beautiful!
Dear Ginnie,
I hate to tell you that the first artichoke I ever ate was in California, but I have no idea if they are now available in Holland too. I know they have them in France.
Dear Gel,
Last month I overheard someone at the mall say "Purple is the new black".
Dear Marilyn,
San Jose is not far from Watsonville, the self-proclaimed Artichoke Capital of the World. Did you ever go to their annual festival?
Dear Ruth,
Artichokes really are very beautiful. In the gardening world, they are considered to be an ornamental plant but they take a lot of space. Yes, they are a thistle.
I'm glad you like our Della Robbia arrangement. If you care to see the other side, with more pomegranates, you can click on the link underneath "Della Robbia" in the post.
Dear kath,
I have a theory that if you chase a high-fat food with a high-fiber vegetable, the two cancel. Therefore, artichokes with butter is completely guilt-free in my book :)
Dear Johnny Nutcase,
I used to have an artichoke for dinner during college too! Mind you, it was a rather gigantic artichoke, with lots of butter...
Dear Icy BC,
Yes, artichokes are flower buds and the hairy choke part in the heart later becomes the beautiful purple flower.
Welcome to Dutchbaby!
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