Chez Panisse Artichokes

Saturday 7 November

Boxes of baby artichokes appeared in the vegetable display at our local Kroger this week, so we had to encourage them to have them more frequently by getting one.  Instead of our usual anginares alla polita, we tried yet another Chez Panisse Vegetables recipe.

Artichokes with Garlic, Thyme, and Parmesan

20 very small artichokes (we had about 24, some very small indeed)

1 lemon

5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced (we used Barbara's home grown garlic, which Dora loves to play with)

1/3 cup good olive oil

1 cup water

4 sprigs fresh thyme (we doubled that)

Salt and white pepper

Parmesan cheese (read: pecorino romano)

Fill a medium-sized bowl with cold water, and squeeze 1 half of the lemon into the water; throw the rind in too.

Peel the artichokes down to their pale green inner leaves, trim off the tops to remove any thorns, and cut off the ends of their stems.  As you finish each one, drop it into the bowl of lemon water.

In a shallow, nonreactive pan, combine artichokes, garlic, olive oil, water, and thyme. Season lightly with salt and white pepper, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until the artichokes begin to soften. Remove the lid, raise the heat slightly, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the artichokes are tender and the liquids have emulsified into a sauce.  Adjust the seasonings, and squeeze the other half of the lemon into the pan.

Serve with shavings of Parmesan, and bread to sop up the sauce if desired.

Pretty luscious; we wonder how it would be with potatoes and carrots added along the way.