Sometimes I really admire the ability the Mediterranean countries have to dress up vegetables in the most simplest way and make it taste delicious.
When Maria & Daniel were here in April we had artichokes the simple French way and it was both good fun to pick it apart and fabulous to eat. I served it with melted butter, wild garlic mayo and baguette. Amazing!
Whole artichoke
Depending on the size, use approx 1/2 artichoke per person as a nibble/small starter.
Trim the leaves with scissors all around the artichoke and rub with lemon over the cuts so they won’t go brown. Place the artichoke in salted boiling water and cook until soft (20-45 minutes depending on size). Start to eat it by picking the leaves from the bottom and up, outside and in. Dip in butter or mayo and scrape off the ‘meaty’ part with your teeth. Once the leaves are picked the heart remains. Trim away all the fluff and cut it up, serve with a knife and fork.
Scandelights 
I love eating artichokes in this fashion also, sucking away at the fleshy bottoms of the leaves. Hence I have been somewhat shocked at a number of local food shows aired just lately, where all the beautiful outside is shown to be hacked away first thing and discarded, just to get to the choke and bottom. To me, what a waste and loss of fun 😦 ! [When I was taught how to cook the vegetable, I was told to horizontally cut off the top 1/4 – 1/3 before continuing?]