Artichokes with Tomme de Savoie Cheese Sauce

Oh Trader Joe's...you never let my culinary whims down!  After making the trek to Trader Joe's (a 30 minute drive from hell), I returned home with the impulse purchase of 2 artichokes (69 cents each), and a 1 pound block of Tomme de Savoie cheese.  What to do?  What to do?  My family quickly reminded me to check my copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking to see what Julia Child would do...Eureeka!  The artichokes were boiled, and I turned the cheese into a sauce for dipping.  It doesn't sound like a lot to eat, but my brother and I were stuffed to the gills and beyond satisfied with our makeshift meal!  I also had a whole new appreciation as to why artichoke hearts are so freakin' expensive!

To Prepare the Artichokes
1. Break off the stem at the base of the artichoke and even out the base of the artichoke with a knife so it will sit flat on a counter or plate.
2. Trim off approximately 3/4 inch off the tip of the artichoke.
3. Cut off the remaining visible leaf tips with a pair of clean scissors.
4. Boil the artichokes in salted water with a cover on the pan for 45 minutes to an hour.  Stir them occasionally so they cook evenly, but for the most part you can pretty much forget about them until the hour is up! 

To Prepare the Sauce
1. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter over low heat and mix in 1 tablespoon of flour.
2. Once the flour has dissolved into the butter add 1 cup of milk (whole milk is best).  This is a french cheese sauce base known as Bechamel Sauce.  As soon as you add the cheese in the next step it becomes what is known in French and Italian cuisine as a Mornay Sauce!
3. While you are waiting for your milk to come to a boil, cut approximately 1 pound of cheese into small pieces or grate it so it will melt easily.  I chose to use Tomme de Savoie cheese, but you can use any cheese you like!  Tomme de Savoie has a dark rind and the cheese itself has a brown tone to it.  It has an earthy flavor that I would compare to mushrooms. 
4. Once the milk sauce comes to a boil, slowly add the cheese in small amounts, being sure it is melted before adding more. 
5. After all of the cheese is added and melted cook it for a few minutes longer to be sure everything is incorporated well.

To Serve
1. All you will need to do is place the artichoke on a plate
2. Pour the sauce into a bowl for communal dipping, or individual bowls if you don't like to share!

To Eat
Artichokes are not one of those foods many people discuss, especially how to eat it!
1. Starting from the outside of the artichoke, you will peel off a leaf (which will come off easily after cooking), dip it into the sauce, and then use your teeth to pull the meat of the artichoke off of the leaf.  You will not actually eat the entire leaf, but merely pull the leaf meat off.
2. As you get closer to the center of the artichoke you will find the leaves are much more tender, and you can eat the whole leaf.  This is part of what you will find jarred in the pickle aisle of your grocery store and labeled as artichoke hearts!
3. Once you have worked your way through the center you will be left with the round base of the artichoke.  There will be a thickly packed hairy layer that will easily peel apart from the base of the artichoke...don't eat this hairy layer, but the layer under it (the base of the artichoke) is absolutely DELECTABLE!!!