I love artichokes. However, up until last year, I had never prepared a fresh artichoke at home. I had always relied on artichoke hearts that had been brined or marinated because the hard, spiky leaves, and danger of having someone choke on the hairy stuff inside if I did it wrong, well, scared me.
Now, I have slayed spiny the dragon, and a fresh artichoke is a kitten in my hands. My favorite way to prepare it, so far, is roasting it, which allows me to appreciate the vegetable as is, without any heavy accessorization with creamy sauces or the distractions of other ingredients.
All it takes is a pair of very sharp kitchen utensils. With a knife, first, slice off the top quarter of the artichoke, then slice it lengthwise into quarters. Using kitchen shears, snip the thorny tops of any interior leaves that you missed with the knife. Using a teaspoon, scrape out the furry "choke," taking care to take all of it out. Rub the cut side of the artichoke with olive oil, sprinkle with lemon juice and salt, place them on a baking sheet, and roast in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes. Serve simply with thin shavings of cheese.
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