I can ride my bike to Castroville, “The Artichoke Center of the World.” The artichoke is the Official Vegetable of Monterey County.
Why can’t I find good, fresh artichokes in the store (Albertson’s and Nob Hill), even during the peak March to May season? I thought the petals were supposed to be tight and the artichoke heavy – like the ones I lucked on in this photo. They’ve been in the refrigerator for a few days – which explains the brown tips, but I rarely see them like this.
Anyway, artichokes, for me, are only an excuse to eat mayonnaise. But not like Oleg Zhornitskiy.
Ocean Mist is the largest grower of fresh Artichokes in the United States and grows them year-round in three ideal California locations: Castroville, Oxnard and Coachella.