lesa said:
Plenty of plants are amazing- but that is just absolutely incredible!!!!! Not only is the plant huge, but to have that many to harvest- unreal! What will you do with the ones he gave you?
I may try the recipe my daugher just sent me for Arichoke soup.
Here is the recipe for anyone who would like to try it.
Artichoke Soup
From the kitchen of Jennifer Alvey
2 fresh artichokes
1 (9oz) pkg. frozen artichoke hearts or 1-14 oz can. (I use canned)
1 qt. chicken broth or 2 (14 oz.) cans regular strength chicken broth
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons minced shallots
cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whipping cream
teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon dry sherry
Optional: cup chopped roasted filberts (I do not use)
Trim stems of fresh artichokes even with the base. Using kitchen shears, cut off tip of each leaf.
Bring 6 cups of water to boil in a 4 quart pot.
Add artichokes; boil until artichoke base is tender when pierced with a fork. About 45 minutes.
Remove artichokes from water. Pull off heavy leaves; set aside to cool. Remove and discard thin yellow and purple inner leaves and fuzzy choke from each artichoke. What remains is the artichoke bottom.
Using a spoon, gently scrape tender pulp from heavy leaves.
In a 4-quart pot, combine pulp, cleaned artichoke bottoms, frozen or canned artichoke hearts, broth, and lemon juice. Simmer 15 minutes.
Place artichoke mixture in a blender or food processor; puree. Strain puree through a fine sieve (I dont do this.)
Rinse and dry pot. Melt butter in pot. Add shallots; saut 1 minute. Stir in flour until blended.
Gradually stir in artichoke puree. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
Pour cream into a medium bowl. Slowly ladle about cup hot artichoke mixture into cream; stir to blend.
Pour cream mixture into artichoke mixture, stirring constantly.
Add salt, pepper and sherry.
Warm soup until heated through, stirring occasionally. DO NOT BOIL.
Ladle Soup into individual bowls and sprinkle with chopped filberts.
Makes 8 (1-cup) servings.
Serve with grilled chicken breast (marinated in sherry, garlic and rosemary) and sourdough bread.
Funny her email said not to skip the cheesecloth part.. but in reading this recipe, I don't see anything about cheesecloth?? I emailed her, it is too late to be calling her at the moment. I suppose the part where you strain it through a fine sieve, she maybe uses cheesecloth, but it doesn't say that???
Since I have 11 artichokes, I will probably not use any canned ones... Sounds a bit labor intensive... but these are very tender artichokes, no hairy centers at all! you can even eat the stems!!
I'll let you know how it tastes. I will have to get a few ingredients before I can make it.
I miss living in Cali or the west for that matter!
Wow! 
to your neighbor! That is amazing!
