Stuffed Artichokes

Early Sunday morning mom and I went to Market Basket, which has become our weekly date. As we were winding our way through the produce section, I noticed the artichokes were a good price and looked tight, green and healthy. Mom and I chose some good ones and anticipated our Tuesday night meal, which these lovely artichokes would now be part of.

Artichoke harvesting is at its peak in the spring. They continue to be harvested throughout the summer and have another peak period in mid autumn. Artichokes are not only delicious to eat, but their flower makes for a beautiful decoration. For us, we were stuffing them and eating them. Artichokes can be prepared many different ways. You can clean them, boil them and serve them with a lemon aioli or hollandaise. Or you can clean them right down to the hearts and then saute those with pasta or you could marinate the hearts in oil and hot pepper flakes. In Rome, they take the whole artichoke, place it in a deep fryer and serve it crispy. This is called a Jewish-style artichoke and is something you should sample when in Rome. Mom and I had a plan for stuffed artichokes, slow cooked in the oven and oozing with goodness.

Here is our recipe for stuffed artichokes

Makes 6

6 whole artichokes stems removed and scales cleaned free of their thorns
4 cups unseasoned breadcrumb
2 whole garlic gloves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 cup water
olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Rub the cut part of the artichoke with lemon as this will keep it from browning. In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, parsley, lemon zest and water. Over the bowl grate the garlic and then season with salt and pepper. Mix together and begin to drizzle in some olive oil. You are looking for a semi wet feel to the stuffing. Be sure to taste and adjust seasoning before you stuff the artichokes. Pour a 1/4 cup cold water in the bottom of a dutch oven and now begin stuffing. Carefully, pull the artichoke leaves away from the center without tearing them off. Stuff the leaves individually and then stuff the top part and place in the pan. When all the artichokes are done, drizzle each with some olive oil, cover with the lid and place in the oven, Let the artichokes cook for at least 1 hour and a half before you check them. The way to tell if they are cooked is their leaves will pull away without struggle. The breadcrumbs should be golden and the artichokes tender. Enjoy!