How to Roast Baby Artichokes
This past week, we had the pleasure of visiting DeNoble Farms in Tillamook, OR. While they grow a large number of crops, the DeNobles are perhaps best known for growing artichokes.
Many people are unsure of how to properly cook a baby artichoke, so we thought we'd include a recipe for our favorite method to cook these delicious veggies! (And, be sure to pick up some lovely artichokes from DeNoble's at the Market this weekend!) Recipe: First, Bring large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Fill large bowl with cold water, add the juice of one lemon. For each artichoke – pull off all dark green outer leaves until only tender inner yellow ones remain. Cut off the top 1 inch from the artichoke. Cut off stem and trim around stem base of artichoke. Cut in half lengthwise. Drop in lemon water. (If you are intimidated by the thought of cleaning baby artichokes watch this video.) Drain artichokes, then add to a saucepan of boiling water and blanch for 3 min. Drain. (Can be done one day in advance.) To roast the artichokes: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place artichokes on foil lined sheet pan. Drizzle with 1 T. olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Spread out. Roast the artichokes until tender for about 15 min. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce, such as a garlic aioli or Bleu Diamond dressing, which can be found at the Market. (Remember, you can eat the entire trimmed, baby artichoke!)