Trim. Cut the top quarter of the artichoke off with a serrated knife.

Peel. Next remove all the tough outer leaves until you get down to the tender light green or purple colored leaves. (Yes, you will remove about a third of the artichoke.) Slice about a 1/2-inch off the bottom of each stem and peel the tough skin off the stem and artichoke bottom. (I think this is easiest with a pairing knife.)

To steam artichokes, fill a steamer pot with water. Cut a lemon in half and squeeze the halves into the water. I like to add some fresh herbs like a few sprigs of thyme, black peppercorns, and/or bay leaves.

Set the steamer basket with the cleaned artichokes on top and cover tightly with a lid. Steam on medium until a knife is easily inserted in the base of the artichoke, about 40 minutes for a large one. If you don’t have a steamer pot you can also fill a large pot with the flavored water and set a trivet in the bottom with the artichokes on top of the trivet. Cover and cook.

To roast artichokes, heat oven to 425°F. Place cleaned artichokes in a baking dish in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. I usually put the squeezed lemon half in with the artichokes.

Add about 1/2 inch of water to the dish then cover tightly with foil to keep all the steam in as they roast.

Cook until a knife is easily inserted in the base of the artichoke, about 40-50 minutes for a large artichoke. Squeeze a lemon over the cooked artichoke before serving.

To eat, pluck the leaves from the cooked artichoke, dip the leaves in garlic butter, or flavored mayonnaise, and slide the ends between your teeth to collect the meaty bits.