Here is another one of those “single use implements” from my sister’s collection… Artichoke plates. Yes, a plate designed for the sole purpose of eating/enjoying a boiled artichoke. The whole artichoke sits in the center of the plate, the sauce or dip is in a small section up front and the discarded/scraped leaves are lined up in a section that surrounds the artichoke. In this case, the plate is a beautiful French majolica plate, ivory to off-white in color. Because one doesn’t really need to cut on it (except perhaps when one gets to the heart of the artichoke), it has a beautiful pattern embossed into the ceramic.
We were in New York when the first artichokes were hitting the markets so it was great to have them boiled, fried or however you like them. In this case, 
they were simply boiled and served at room temperature. Sometimes served with butter and perhaps lemon, the sauce on these plates is a blitzed vinaigrette with olive oil, sherry vinegar, lots of red onion and parsley with salt and pepper. Take a “leaf†of artichoke, dip it into the vinaigrette and scrape the minute amount of tender flesh with your front teeth…yum. Now my question is… who the heck figured out how to eat an artichoke in this manner to begin with??? Want your own artichoke plates? Hang out at estate sales or small auction houses, you may find them for a relative bargain if you have a good eye…
7 Responses
I sure wish we had enough storage space to amass all these single use implements! That plate looks so classy… We love artichokes and that dip sure looks good.
The same thought as ykmd’s entered my mind as I read this…with all her single-use silver & china, plus, of course, the rest of the de riguer pieces, in different styles/colors/etc…how does she find space for them all? Especially in NY, where space is at such a premium?
Artichokes are so beautiful, and those plates do justice to them. How utterly luxurious and elegant it must be to dine at your sister’s!
That’s such a pretty fine plate! Artichoke plates are quite common in Europe, mostly in porcelain with less decor.
My mom is into these stuff and most that she has, she found in flea markets..the artichoke plate looks classy and pretty indeed!
“Now my question is… who the heck figured out how to eat an artichoke in this manner to begin with???”
Ask the same people who ate malunggay pods and edamame almost the same manner. LOL.
I’m sure that plate can be used for other food perhaps?…
i have never tasted artichoke before, this must be exciting, i just see them all the time from dicovery travel and living, and they looked appetizing when fried, i somehow imagine it to taste like camote chips, so i am not really sure i can imagine what it tasted like when boiled. can you describe it MM? we weren’t exposed to this type of veggie to begin with, where can i source some? thanks!