I found a picture of this project on glam nest, but didn’t think they would be too hard to reproduce for my Valentines dinner party.  I have never really worked with artichokes before and I usually buy them already in the pruned-down jarred form.  Doing my first one was rough, but after getting the hang of it and deciding which tools to use, it was super easy!

The Necessary Tools

You will need a cutting board; a very large, sharp, chefs knife; a paring knife; and a heavy (but small and kinda pointy) spoon.   

Step One: Provide a Base

Using your large chefs knife, cut the stem off just below the last row of leaves.  Discard the stem.

Step Two:  Create the Cavity for the Candle

Using your large chefs knife, cut the top off the artichoke.  Make sure to leave a few rows of leaves in tact for the name card to be placed in later.

Use your paring knife to cut the center out of the artichoke.  Cut with your knife at a 45 degree angle like you would cut the stem out of a tomato.  The leaves are tough and firm, so you need to put some effort into this cut.  Make sure your knife is very sharp, or else you’ll have to put too much strength behind the knife and you’ll end up cutting yourself.  Turn the artichoke upside-down and shake out the section you’ve just cut.

Now it should look like this:

As much as you might want to reach in there and pull out that purple stuff – resist the temptation!  It is very sharp and ruthless.  Instead, use your spoon to break up some of the vegetable’s innards, and then scoop them out.

Step Three: Let there be light

Now, carefully stick your thumbs into the cavity, grabbing the outside of the artichoke with your other fingers.  Shimmy the leaves apart a bit so that the opening becomes a little larger, enough so to accomodate your candle.  Stick the candle in and the cavity!

I used tea lights so that the metal casement would reduce the possibility of having an artichoke fire.

Place your name card in one of the lower leaves (out of flames way) and there you are!  Voila!