One of the best things about Spring is fresh artichokes. I love the baby artichokes sauteed or fried, whole artichokes for dipping and using the fresh artichoke hearts in pasta dishes. Save the canned artichokes for your party dips.

The easiest way to enjoy artichokes are to steam or boil them and serve with melted lemon butter. This was a childhood favorite of mine and I still love to serve them for guests.

Take advantage of artichokes as they come into season. This is an easy starter for your green menu this March!

Green Artichokes with Lemon Butter 

Ingredients:

• fresh artichokes
• butter
• lemon
• salt

Cut the bottom stem off the artichoke so it stands on its own. Then, using scissors, cut the sharp points off each leaf. Boil (or steam) the artichokes stem side up (I throw  juiced lemons  and salt into the water for flavor) until the stem is tender enough to easily insert a knife. Serve them with melted lemon butter ( I prefer mine with a little salt too). If you haven’t eaten an artichoke this way, you pluck each leaf off, dip in butter and scrap the ends off with your teeth. Once you reach the center, clean the choke with a knife and eat the artichoke heart!