Artichokes with Butter Sauce
2 artichokes
Lemon juice
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon snipped fresh dill, tarragon, or oregano, or 1/4 teaspoon dried dill, tarragon, or oregano, crushed
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Wash artichokes, trim stems and remove loose outer leaves. Cut off 1-inch from each top, snip off the sharp leaf tips. Brush the cut edges with a little lemon juice. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven bring a large amount of lightly salted water to boiling; add artichokes. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 20 to 30 minutes or until a leaf pulls out easily. Drain artichokes upside down on paper towels.
Meanwhile. for butter sauce, melt butter. Stir in herb and the 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Turn artichokes right side up. Serve with butter sauce.
*NOTE - To eat artichokes, pull off one leaf at a time and dip base into sauce. Draw the base of the leaf through your teeth, scraping off only the tender flesh. Discard remainder of the leaf. Continue removing leaves until the fuzzy choke appears. Remove the choke by scooping it out with a spoon; discard choke. If you are having trouble getting the choke out with a spoon, try loosening it with a grapefruit knife, then pulling it out with a spoon. Eat the remaining heart with a fork, dipping each piece into sauce.
