artsy chokes

Well, everybody is talking about the chokes, and showing some in pretty in mauve pictures. I have always loved artichokes, the Britanny kind of my childhood, grown by the salty ocean breezes, and the foggy iodine mists. My family had a contest on the best, most artfull arrangement of eaten leaves on each plate.....A fresh artichoke from the Farmer's market makes a huge difference, it is sweeter, the texture is meatier, it is a whole different bird. I usually steam them, letting them shine on their own, served with an aioli with a dash of cayenne.This last time, I wanted to try to dress them up a bit, party demanding it. So, I steamed a few, cooled them, quartered them, dressed them in a marinade of olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, thyme,salt and pepper and popped them in the oven to roast for 30 minutes ( at 375 degrees). so good ! the same little dish of aioli was served alongside......
speaking of ocean breezes, the last pictures were taken at the Dune du Pyla, an amzing natural phenomenon on the Atlantic coast of Southwest france, where a huge dune of 220 feet sits between water and pine forests......