Can I Have Your Heart?

Artichoke contest plate.

The Artichoke
It's been a favorite in my family every since I can remember. I even requested Artichokes and Pizza for my birthday meal...when I was 10!

COURSE ONE: 
Artichokes. Game On! 
There is a tradition....there's ALWAYS a tradition! The Franklin's ate dinner at the dining room table (every night) and when it was artichoke night, the air seemed different...it was contest night. Manners were always expected, but getting to eat with your hands was quite the treat and legal (plucking leaves with your fingers is the proper way to eat an artichoke)...and darting out of your chair, running to the garden to pick a flower to adorn the top of your creation was somehow allowed (Mama!). No need to ask to be excused, it was okay on artichoke night.

Let me explain. We would each get our own artichoke...NO SHARING. Every leaf was carefully pulled, delicately scraped and perfectly placed on our artichoke plates (yes, they make such a thing) revealing the heart. The core of this vegetable is coveted by my family. Till this day, biting into a buttery-soaked heart is one of the most enjoyable tastes. The goal was to create a masterpiece with your leaves. You can make a circle, you can stack, you can pile...whatever makes the most interesting plate. My father won almost every time. My mother actually won the time she ran to the garden for a flower...she broke the rules and used a non-artichoke item, but we gave it to her for her creativity.

Speaking of Mama...she always asks "Can I have your heart?" with a quick response of "No!" from everyone at the table. But she had her own sneaky way of getting the heart from me. She would say, "You have to give the last bite to the person you love most at the table." Now, how terrible is that? I had to choose between my mother, father and brother (sorry Webster, you will never get that last bite from me...I carried your football equipment, your punishment...no last bite). My mother NORMALLY wouldn't say things like that or ask that I choose between her and my father...but like I said, the air was different on artichoke night. So inevitably, I would give my mother the last bite and in return she would give hers to me. A trade of love.

That was years and years ago...today, my brother and I send photo texts back and forth with decorated plates...mainly for the jealousy factor that one is eating an artichoke and the other is not! And it's easier to get an outside judge...someone NOT sitting at the dining room table during creation. Yes, my brother's family, The Franklin II's, pose the same challenge at their dinner table...as do I. I can't eat an artichoke without the contest (even when I eat it alone).

As long as I live, the artichoke will forever remind me of sitting with my family at the dining room table. Thank you Mama...for making me understand the importance of sitting down with your family to eat dinner. So many memories. Yes, you can have my heart...but only the last bite!

Artichokes from our recent meals. Some people don't participate (photo 3).

My Simple Artichoke Recipe
No need to fancy this one up. It's great as is!

1 Artichoke for each person
Butter
Lemon
Wooster* (Worcestershire Sauce)

Boil Artichokes until the bottom is soft, usually 45 minutes. Test by inserting a fork in the center of the heart. My Aunt Hardy steams them with the same time and outcome. I've just always done it this way.
Heat butter and add enough lemon to make it just tart...everyone has their own way.

*Now, my husband grills the artichoke. After boiling, drain and cut in half lengthwise. Brush mixture of melted butter, lemon and wooster on artichoke and grill for 5 to 10 minutes until artichoke is slightly charred on outside.