With beautiful, fleshy, fresh artichokes appearing in the farmers' markets, now is the time to enjoy them at their best. When shopping, select artichokes that appear moist and plump rather than those that have dried and shriveled petals. The recipe I'm sharing this month is cooked in a tangy marinade and does not need to be served with a dressing or a dipping sauce.

1. If you buy the variety that has sharp stickers at the tip of each petal, use a large, serrated knife to cut off the tough top 1/2 " (1 cm) to 1" (2.5 cm) of the artichoke.

   

2. With a sturdy scissors, snip off the top 1/2" (1 cm) of each remaining petal to avoid getting poked. Remove the small, tough outer petals at the base of the artichoke.

3. With a small paring knife, peel the tough outer layer from the stem. Most of the time the stems are extremely tasty and quite substantial, so don't cut them off and discard them.

4. Cut the giant or medium-size artichokes in half. Place them in a pot large enough to hold most of them placed cut-side down. If using small artichokes, leave them whole.

5. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot.

6. Cover the pot, and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn heat down to low and steam 20 to 30 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork near the stem of the artichoke. This recipe serves 6.

That's all there is to it! Enjoy this savory treat! Be sure to include an extra plate or bowl at the table for the discarded petals.