My Town Monday: Castroville, CA
I do love an artichoke.
I am still working very hard writing I SO DON'T DO FAMOUS.
Do these two statements connect? Yes, it's a little convoluted, but they do indeed.
Artichokes. You can eat them hot or cold. If you time it right and find a baby artichoke, the entire thistle is edible. The yummiest part of the artichoke is the heart, also called the choke.
80% of all commercially grown artichokes are grown in Castroville, CA. Castroville is about 100 miles southeast of San Francisco.
Castroville, CA is the Artichoke Capital of the world. Here is a link to this year's artichoke festival, the 51st annual festival.
On June 1, 1947, Norma Jean Mortenson was crowned the very first Artichoke Queen.
You probably already know that Norma Jean Mortenson became Marilyn Monroe.
Marilyn Monroe shows up in I SO DON'T DO FAMOUS. As a ghost.
Voila!
"I do love an artichoke" and "I am still working very hard on I SO DON'T DO FAMOUS" are irrevocably connected.
Here she is! Miss 1947 Artichoke Queen
Please check out the posts by the other My Town Monday participants by clicking here.
Oh, you're still in the mood for more about artichokes?
If you're intimated by the artichoke, here's a link for how to eat one.
If you're short of artichoke recipes, here's a link with lots of artichoke recipes
sources:
http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/Articles/Produce-638/artichokes.aspx
http://www.theoldfoodie.com/2007/06/queen-of-artichokes.html
Posts
Young Marilyn is so pretty, isn't she?
ReplyDeleteI don't believe I've ever seen an artichoke plant--so thank you! I guess I thought they grew beneath somehow, more like Brussels sprouts or zucchini.
Your first two sentences made perfect sense (to me) before an explanation was given. A convoluted way of thinking & life have become the norm. ;)
ReplyDeleteArtichokes are one of my favorite foods but I buy artichoke hearts that have been soaked in oil so I think that has something to do with it.
ReplyDeleteI love them but don't really understand them.
ReplyDeleteGreen Girl: You should google artichoke to see a picture of one in bloom. They're PURPLE!
ReplyDeleteBeth: I suspect we would get along famously in real life!
ReplyDeleteSarkastic: Oh yes, artichoke hearts in olive oil? YUMMY!
ReplyDeleteArtichokes are beautiful! Good luck on I SO DON'T DO FAMOUS. *writing cookies* or *revision cookies* Whichever you need. :D
ReplyDeleteI learned to love artichokes when I lived in France. They love them over there.
ReplyDeleteHmm, ghost Marilyn may appear, but I doubt Sherry will eat an artichoke. She seems like more of a Pop Tarts and Pringles kind of a gal.
ReplyDeleteI love artichokes, and looking at that website is making me hungry. Which is sad as lunch wasn't that long ago.
Stacy: you are so right!! Sherry will probably never ever eat an artichoke. Hmmm.....unless The Ruler somehow snuck it into a casserole!
ReplyDeleteI love artichokes - my favorite vegetable. How much fun to have Marilyn show up as ghost! Good luck with FAMOUS. I just finished revising a MS today, and I'm bushed. I could do with an artichoke....
ReplyDeleteSo I guess it's no coincidence that a friend from California taught me how to eat artichokes some years ago.
ReplyDeleteTerrie
I hated artichokes when I lived in the Bay Area - one couple invited people over and an artichoke was the entree - yikes! But then Napa Rose chef Andrew Sutton made one for me - and they were to die for!!
ReplyDeleteI wish someone would make me some artichokes for dinner. I hardly ever eat them but I do like them!
ReplyDeleteTerrie: No coincidence. It's how we roll in California.:)
ReplyDeleteI love artichokes, too, especially the hearts.
ReplyDeletethis was so interesting--I love arthichokes too.
ReplyDeleteHey, I think I ran through that field! One of the best 5ks I ever did was for the festival--just along the nice, soft dirt path the trucks go over. Quiet, foggy morning--lovely. LOVE artichokes. Hope the book's going well!
ReplyDeleteStill this isn't Marilyn in 1947/48, but in the fifties
ReplyDelete