Artichokes

I love this picture! It looks quite professional. These organic globe artichokes are from my garden. Last year I almost gave up on the plants and pulled them as they looked like they had given up. The heat and dryness during the summer in Arizona is unrelenting making it challenging to be an organic gardener in the desert. But I decided to wait it out with my two plants (or I was just too lazy to pull them out) and one day this spring I happened to look up (as they are in raised beds and the top of the plant stood over 5 ft tall) and I see 5 small artichokes peeping out. I was ecstatic. Then a neighbor told me they need about two years to mature. I'm so glad I was patient (or lazy). They ended up being quite prolific and I had to give away many. Probably due to the quick onset of heat this spring they all opened (they are supposed to be harvested while the leaves are still compact) and have already flowered, which is quite beautiful . According to the Mediterranean Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, artichokes have the highest reported antioxidant capacities of vegetables. In addition, studies have shown artichokes to aid digestion and gall bladder function, and raise the ratio of HDL to LDL. I guess I will baby them along to see if they last another year.