| 1 | Wash artichokes carefully and drain. |
| 2 | Slice off upper tip of each artichoke with a sharp knife. |
| 3 | With kitchen shears, trim off the thorny ends of the leaves. |
| 4 | The stems should be cut off even with the base of the artichoke. |
| 5 | Combine water, vinegar and pickling spices in a deep, 3-quart, heat-resistant, non-metallic casserole. |
| 6 | Heat, uncovered, in microwave oven 5 minutes or until mixture comes to a boil. |
| 7 | Place artichokes upright in casserole. |
| 8 | Heat, covered, in microwave oven 12 to 15 minutes. |
| 9 | Cook until bases are tender when pierced with a fork and lower leaves pull away easily. |
| 10 | Set aside. |
| 11 | In a small bowl combine remaining ingredients. |
| 12 | If desired, heat mustard sauce, uncovered, in microwave oven 1 ?minutes or until heated through. |
| 13 | Dip leaves into mustard sauce. |
| 14 | Tip: if desired, the leaves may be removed and arranged on a platter before serving. |
| 15 | The fuzzy choke should be removed and the heart of the artichoke cut for serving |
