oh...wish I was cooking these up tonight. You Yahoo! users, you know the pop up page when you log onto your account? Always packed with news and information. Today's pop up is about 5 healthiest vegies to put into your salad. My favorite came out #1 in antioxidants! Lucky me!
I'm pretty conventional when it comes to preparation and serving. I trim the stems, put the choke into a steamer (upside down, mind you-kindy tricky), steam for about 20 minutes for a couple of medium sized chokes. Serve hot (or cold!) with mayonaise.
When I was a kid, we grew our own. Yum. And they make a very pretty purple thistle bloom if you let them go. I've been eating this mysterious (to some) vegie all my life. Oh! Oh! Perfect dinner: grilled salmon, steamed artichoke and soft polenta. Drool.....but I will have to try this grilled recipe next weekend...hear that, wifeo-mine???
GRILLED ARTICHOKES
(Recipe for 4 artichokes, 8 servings ½ artichoke each)
This recipe is perfect for the lazy cook, since all preparation can be done the previous day. The slightly smoky taste compliments the nuttiness of the artichoke and no dip is necessary, although some might want to use additional marinade for dipping.
Ingredients:
4 large artichokes
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup water ¼ cup soy sauce
1 T minced ginger
¼ cup olive oil
Method:
Slice artichoke tops off, crosswise. Trim Stems.
Boil or steam artichokes until bottoms pierce easily, or a petal pulls off easily.
Drain artichokes. Cool. Cut each artichoke in half lengthwise and scrape out fuzzy center and any purple tipped petals.
Mix remaining ingredients in a large plastic bag. Place artichokes in the bag and coat all sides of the artichokes. For best flavor marinate in the mixture overnight in the refrigerator but should marinate at least one hour.
Drain artichokes. Place cut side down on a grill over a solid bed of medium coals or gas grill on medium. Grill until lightly browned on the cut side, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn artichokes over and drizzle some of the remaining marinade over the artichokes. Grill until petal tips are lightly charred, 3 to 4 minutes more.
Serve hot or room temperature
