Artichokes!

I stopped by the Little Italy Farmer's Market today!
Picked up two artichokes, 1 bunch of asparagus, and 1 baguette. Ate 1/3 of the baguette with olive oil and balsamic when I got home. Yummy.

For the artichoke:
1. Trim 1/2" off the top. Trim the stalk down a lot. Pick off the tough outer leaves. Trim 1/4" off the rest of the leaves (the pokey part). Rinse thoroughly.
2. Fill a pot with 1-2" of water. Squeeze some lemon juice in there (or open the bottle and pour some in... i cheat). Bring it to a boil.
3. Toss in the artichoke in a steamer basket or just in there. Cover. Set a timer for 25 minutes. At that point, check the base for tenderness with a knife. It should go in smoothly. If it doesnt, check again in 5 minutes. Repeat til tender.
4. Drain, turn artichoke upside down to drain. Optional: let cool some more.

For the faux-aioli:
1. Spoon some mayo into a bowl. Add enough lemon juice to thin it. Add a teaspoon or so of jarred pesto. Stir. Chill.
2. Do this when you put the water on to boil, so it has time for the flavors to meld in the fridge.

Enjoy!