Today I joined the Artichoke Afficianados Club. Yes, there really is such a thing.
Technically, it’s a web site that acts as a promotional gimmick for a California artichoke farm called Ocean Mist. Ocean Mist has its headquarters in the Artichoke Capital of the World–the census-designated place of Castroville, California–and sponsors this not-a-town’s annual Artichoke Festival.
I’ve been through Castroville at least half a dozen times–I’ll be sure to let y’all know if anything ever inspires me to stop.
The club does have its perks–it runs a weekly sweepstakes (so that you too can win a whole case of artichokes all for your very own!), offers about a zillion artichoke recipes (which you’ll need if you win the sweepstakes), and lots of articles about the vitamins and minerals in artichokes (which you’ll OD on if you win the sweepstakes).
Plus, you get the absolutely incontrovertable street cred that comes with belonging to something called the Artichoke Afficianados Club.
