The artichokes soak up the lemon and herbs and turn into a wonderful soft texture when braised using this technique.  The artichokes made using this recipe from Michael Chiarello can also be used in a variety of dishes.  In the picture, we simply ate them with pasta in their sauce.  You could also chop them up for crostini, plate them with their sauce and some crusty bread for an appetizer or first course, add them to a pizza, or add them to a risotto.  I know it’s a pain to trim the artichokes to the hearts, but it really is worth it a few times a year.

Lemon Braised Artichokes

Makes 4 braised hearts

1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3/4 tsps. herbes de Provence or 1 1/2 tsp. fresh thyme
1 1/2 tsps. minced garlic
1 1/2 tsps. salt
Freshly ground pepper
4 medium or large artichoke hearts, leaves and choke removed and trimmed up

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, herbs, garlic, salt, and pepper in a braising pot.  Mix well and add the artichokes.  Cover and cook until the artichokes test tender when pierced with a fork, about one hour.