This strange growth is an artichoke gall. It's one of a number of galls that appear on oak trees. Galls are caused by insects laying eggs on the bud of the oak. The bud is deformed into the gall, providing a home for the young insect. The most well known gall is the oak apple.
It's called an artichoke gall because it looks a bit like the fruit of a globe artichoke (more so on the inside as shown here).
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