Artichoke Petals with Garlic Butter

Life's simple pleasures!
    
     I cooked a few artichokes today for a few weekend blog recipes.  I needed just the artichoke bottom for one recipe and the artichoke heart for another.  What is supposed to be done with the artichoke petals?  Throw them away?  No!
     Artichoke petals are usually called artichoke leaves by most people.  An artichoke is a flower.  Even though the artichoke petals are a fleshy green color, they technically are still flower petals.
     I posted a very nice bagna cauda recipe that called for the artichoke meat that is scraped from the artichoke petals.  Today's artichoke petal recipe is simple home style appetizer.  I used to eat this artichoke petal appetizer as a child quite often at home.  This recipe is very easy to make.
  
     Artichoke Petals with Garlic Butter Recipe:
     Boil 1 whole fresh large artichoke in salted water with a half of a lemon over medium high heat.
     Note:  The artichoke must be completely submerged in the water when boiling.  Artichokes do float in water.  Placing a small dish or bowl on top of the artichoke like a weight will keep the artichoke under water in the pot.  Cover the pot if necessary to keep the steam in.
     The cooking time depends on the size of the artichoke.  Usually 5 to 10 minutes is enough time for the artichoke to become fully cooked.
     Cool the cooked artichoke under cold running water.
     Cut off the stem.  (The stem is edible.  It can be peeled and sliced.)
     Gently peal off all of the artichoke petals, except the thin petals that surround artichoke heart.
     Remove the choke or beard.
     Note:  The purple flower center is surrounded by hard protective petals that are inedible.  The purple flower center must be scraped and cut out of the artichoke heart with a sharp knife before using the heart or bottom in a recipe.
     Cut the artichoke heart off of the artichoke bottom.
     Save the artichoke heart and bottom for another recipe.
     Note:  The artichoke bottom must be carefully trimmed.   The artichoke heart can be retained or separated from the bottom.  The heart can also be served as petals.
     Arrange the artichoke petals in a shallow soup bowl, so they look nice.
     Heat 3 ounces of unsalted butter over medium low/low heat in a sauce pot.
     Add 2 tablespoons of chopped garlic.
     Add 1 pinch of sea salt.
     Allow the garlic to gently simmer in the butter, but do not let the garlic brown.
     Place the garlic butter in a small ramekin.
     Set the ramekin of garlic butter on the center of the bowl so it is surrounded by the artichoke petals.
  
     How to eat artichoke petals:
     This is finger food!
     Pick a petal up by the tip with your fingers and dip it in the garlic butter.  Place the petal in your mouth up to where your fingers are holding the petal.  Bite down on the petal and scrape the artichoke "meat" off of the petal with your teeth as you pull the petal out of your mouth.  Discard the tough part of the petal that is pulled out with your fingers.  The tender leaves toward the center beard are tender and they can be eaten whole.  That is the way to eat the meat off of artichoke petals!
  
     This is a fun appetizer for lovers to share!  Eating artichoke petal "meat" is one of life's simple pleasures.  The garlic butter is the perfect dipping sauce.  Yummy!  ...  Shawna