BabyArtichoke Season

Spring brings a number of good foods, from fresh asparagus to baby greens. One of the best and tastiest is the tiny but tasty baby  artichoke.They are the most versatile too , Any cook, novice or experienced can prepare them in a variety of ways and have great success with them. They're easy and fun to make, adding much needed freshness to a winter weary diet.

Dave Tanis of The New York Times Dining section's A City Kitchen column extolled them in his most recent article.Baby artichokes are in season right now  and instead of eating the entire globe you can polish off several of them. One of Mr. Tanis' favorite way is Italian style. Serve a platter of raw ones with lemon juice and olive oil sprinkled with shavings of Parmesan cheese.Keep in mind that before any cooking the artichokes must be peeled of their dark green exteriors. Then  trim the stem ends with a paring knife.

Baby artichokes can also be steamed or boiled as well. It's only a eight minute cook and then you  serve them with melted butter or olive oil along with equal sprinklings of sea salt and pepper.Another method is frying them after a  buttermilk bath and a  quick dip in seasoned breadcrumbs. Mr. Tanis then  serves them with gremolata, of chopped parsley,garlic and lemon zest. You can just eat these plain or well or even try them with a fresh made aioli sauce drizzled on top.

This is the season for all sorts of good veggies. The baby artichokes ranks right up there. Try them now for a refreshing taste .