I love the artichoke roots that have taken hold in my food garden! Every year, a glorious new artichoke plant pops out and produces delicious artichokes right on schedule. They have become one of the highlights of spring in at our house. Artichoke roots go dormant in late summer early fall, but then wake up in early winter to start producing the plant, and spring is usually harvest time for artichokes. Many people scratch their heads at artichokes, either because they only know how to boil them, or maybe they just don’t think its worth the work required to finally get to the delicious heart of the artichoke. To me it is all worth the work, but just in case, here is a super easy way to prepare fresh artichokes, that incorporates roasted garlic. I recommend trying this accompanied by something you can spread the edible meat of the artichoke, along with the roasted garlic onto, like a baguette or a toasted flatbread. Don’t let spring pass without trying this once! It is a nice alternative to the traditional boiling method. I like to leave two or three artichokes on the plant each year because they eventually blossom into a beautiful flower. And they look as beautiful as they taste!
garlic stuffed roasted artichoke
4 medium artichokes
2 lemons, cut in half
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
12 or more cloves of garlic, peeled
12 sprigs fresh thyme
1/4 cup veggie broth, white wine, beer, or water
Salt & pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 425º. Cut the top 1/3 of the artichokes using a serrated knife, clean across, so that the furry center is exposed. Cut the bottom or stem off the artichoke so that it can sit upright without tipping over. Using a grapefruit spoon or other spoon,
scoop out the furry stuff (this is essentially the center of the flower and not edible) so that you have an empty cavity with just the leaves and the heart at the bottom. Insert garlic cloves and thyme leaves into the center of each artichoke until it is all evenly distributed. Place the artichokes in a baking dish with a lid, or use a foil pouch for each artichoke. You want to be able to close the artichokes with a lid or the wrapped foil when you roast them. Drizzle a half a lemon over each artichoke, and then a tablespoon of oil. Season with salt and pepper, pour broth or desired liquid around artichoke, and cover baking dish or enclose the foil pouches. Liquid and seasonings should be contained within the dish or pouch so the artichoke can steam and roast at the same time. Roast in the oven for about an hour. To test for doneness, remove a leaf and test the edible meat of the artichoke. If it is hard and doesn’t come off the leaf, it isn’t ready. If it is soft and comes off easily, it’s ready! Serve with aioli, extra fresh lemon, and your favorite bread.
the whole dish 