Instructions: Castroville will harvest about 60 percent of the years supply of chokes over the next month or so. And growers are plenty excited about the quality of this years crop.

Look for bright-green artichokes that are heavy for their size.

Heavy means there is a lot of meat on the leaves and a large heart.

Depending on size, you will start seeing retail pricing around a dollar for the jumbos and 39 to 49 cents for the smaller ones.

Dont forget the babies, usually sold by the pound. Peel the outer leaves, cut in half from top to bottom, saute with garlic, onions and olive oil, then toss them into your pasta.

And, once youve had your fill of the simple, standard way, start thinking Old World artichoke recipes.

Artichokes first were grown in Italy and Sicily.

Ancient Romans considered artichokes a delicacy and preserved them in vinegar or brine so they could be served at feasts throughout the year.

In fact, in Italy and Greece, no one has the patience for our dainty pluck-and-dip ritual.

They go right for the heart - whacking off the leaves, scooping out the choke, trimming the stem, then deciding what to do. Maybe theyll stuff them or braise them. Throw them in a roasting pan under a fat-dripping leg of lamb. Or maybe theyll just eat them raw.

In Mediterranean countries, early spring vegetables - asparagus, peas, cardoons (A Mediterranean plant (Cynara cardunculus) closely related to the artichoke, cultivated for its edible leafstalks and roots ) - often are eaten raw. Artichokes are no exception.

In Italy, slivers of raw artichoke often are combined with chips of Parmesan cheese, and its a natural match.

Grill the artichoke halves over a low to medium flame, turning frequently and basting as needed with the marinade. Allow the leaves to blacken a little. Test for doneness by poking a knife or skewer into the base. Whole baby artichokes, which can be threaded on skewers, will cook completely in about 15 minutes.

Allow 30 to 40 minutes over a low flame for larger artichokes. Serve plain or with a butter or olive oil sauce for dipping.

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