These sauces are cool and tangy. Serve with cold or warm artichoke leaves.

Recipe I - Sour Cream Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 8 ounce container sour cream
• 1/4 tsp saffron
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 tsp curry
• 2 tsp Balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 tsp white pepper

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
3. Serve with artichokes.

Recipe II - Lemon Garlic Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

Directions

1. Squeeze the juice from the lemon into a bowl.
2. Add remaining ingredients and mix together well.
3. Cover and refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Recipe III - Spicy Artichoke Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 Tbs lemon juice
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Directions

2. Mix all ingredients together.
3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
4. Serve with artichokes.

Note: Substitute plain yogurt for sour cream in Recipe I and the sauce makes a spectacular marinade for chicken, fish, or pork.
The green artichoke most common to Americans gets its common name (artichoke) from the northern Italian words articiocco and articoclos. This latter term is said to be derived from the Ligurian word cocali, meaning "a pine cone."