Artichoke
There aren’t many vegetables that can elevate to divinity with the simple treatment of steaming, and then being served with melted butter, or perhaps some aioli. But that’s one of the many things setting artichokes apart: Their hearts are so rich, so creamy, they don’t require much, if anything, in the way of dressing them up. But that doesn’t mean they can’t be: whether pickled, in dips, on pizzas or battered and fried, locals adore this unique crop that can only thrive in specific microclimates – not too hot, and not too cold – and they don’t take for granted that Monterey County is one of them.