I couldn’t pass up this artichoke when I was at Whole Foods last week…it was as big as a cantaloupe (it’s probably equivalent to 4 regular artichokes, so consider this when making the sauce below.  Also, my girls named the dip “sunshine sauce” because just about everything that goes in it is yellow.

1 big ass artichoke (or 4 regular ones)
2 lemon slices
1 garlic clove, cut in half
1T Herbes de Provence

SAUCE:
1/2 stick of organic, unsalted butter
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 lemon, juiced
1/4 tsp raw honey
2 cloves of garlic, minced
dash of sea salt

Prepare artichoke by cutting off about a 1/4 – 1/2 inch off the tip.  Using shears, trim the tips off of each leaf.

In a saucepan, fill the bottom with about an inch of water.  Add lemon slices, garlic and Herbes de Provence to water. Place a steamer basket on top of the water. Place artichoke in basket. Cover.

Bring to a boil and continue steaming for 30 minutes until leaves are tender.

To make the sauce: In a small saucepan, melt butter on low heat. Remove from heat. Whisk in remaining ingredients.

Eating an artichoke: Pull a leaf off. The “meat” is at the bottom of the leaf. Dip in the sauce and then pull between your teeth to remove desired part of the artichoke.

Enjoy!