Christie Brinkley's Love Affair with Artichokes

"For most of my life I've had a thing for the artichoke, because it was such an exciting vegetable. You could do so much with it," Christie Brinkley said today at the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York fund-raising luncheon at Guastavino's. "I first saw it on television, on "The Little Rascals." I had my own artichoke plate, with a place for the heart to sit. To this day I still go crazy for them. But I also eat broccoli every day, it's like taking a vitamin. And I like leafy green vegetables. But artichokes and I go way back."

Ms. Brinkley was, for the second year in a row, chairwoman of the luncheon, drawn in by her gardening mentor and friend, Scott Chafskey, who is president of NOFA-NY. Mr. Chafskey's favorite vegetable: garlic. The editor of Edible East End, Brian Halweil, favors savoy cabbage. The owners of the Upper East Side vegan restaurant Candle 79, Bart Potenza and Joy Pierson, favor similar greens. Mr. Potenza said his favorite was broccoli rabe; Ms. Pierson said her favorite is dinosaur kale.

More coming later on the life of two dairy farmers, the mission of NOFA and the details on a free event to get your family onto a farm.