The message
from The Reid contains these words:

Right, grown the artichokes, and fine looking plants they are, if a
bit scarey.

Cooking
When I was in Tudela I had lovely stews of whole baby artichokes and
broad beans but when I tried it last night with golf ball sized ones
they are like fibre glass. I stewed for 40 minutes.

I can't imagine the whole leaf ever being edible, even from baby
ones.Are you sure they were whole baby artichokes, not fonds
d'artichaut? That's the yummy base of a grown up artichoke, after you've
picked off the leaves.

Janet.