MY PLAY DATE WITH ARTICHOKES

Found some fabulous jumbos today so I had fun stuffing a couple for tonight's dinner. Any way you prepare them, when shopping look for artichokes that are firm (not light and airy) at the base. They should feel full and heavy for their size with tightly packed petals.

STUFFED ARTICHOKES

4 large or 2 jumbo artichokes

1 lemon, halved

½ cup dried breadcrumbs, seasoned or unseasoned

½ cup grated pecorino cheese

¼ cup chopped parsley

4 large garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

With a serrated knife, cut off artichoke stems to create a flat bottom. Cut top thirds off artichokes. Snap off outermost leaves and trim tips with kitchen shears. Rub cut parts with lemon halves. Gently separate artichoke leaves with your thumbs to make room for stuffing.

In a bowl combine the breadcrumbs, cheese, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir to mix. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over each artichoke and work it in between the leaves. Drizzle the top of each artichoke with oil; 2 tablespoons for jumbo and 1 tablespoon each for large. Transfer artichokes, tops down, to a shallow pot large enough to fit the artichokes snuggly side-by-side. Pour in ¾ cup water around the artichokes. Cover, bring water to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer on low about 45 minutes or until a small paring knife pierces the bottom with no resistance. Uncover and continue to simmer until all the liquid has reduced to a glaze. Let cool to room temperature. Some of the cheese might stick to the bottom so use a slotted spatula to gently scrape and pry the artichokes from the pan. Flip and serve, drizzled with any remaining pan juices. The tops of the artichokes should be well browned. Serves 4.