Of my two vegetable CSA subscriptions, I definitely prefer Mariquita Farm’s. Full Belly Farm has wonderful produce but the contents of the box are too dang small for our family. Case in point, we received five baby artichokes in our box last Saturday.
Dude, this amount is barely enough to feed me.
On the other hand, I’d be cursing them if I had a large bag of baby artichokes to trim and prepare. I guess I can always find something to whine about…
If you haven’t noticed, my favorite way to prepare vegetables is to roast them in a hot oven tossed in fat, salt, and pepper and then I spritz a bit of acid on the finished dish. Baby artichokes taste fantastic roasted but there is a little work involved to get them oven-ready.
Time to make Roasted Baby Artichokes!
Serves 1
Ingredients:
- 5 baby artichokes
- 1 lemon, halved
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil (or your favorite fat)
- Kosher Salt
- Freshly Ground Pepper
Equipment:
- All of my recommended kitchen tools are listed here.
Method:
I preheated the toaster oven to 400 F. Then, I filled a large bowl with cold water and squeezed in the juice from the lemon and dumped in the spent halves. Artichokes brown as soon as you cut them so dunk them in the water as soon as you make the first chop.
I chopped the artichokes about ¼ of the way from the top…
…and removed all the tough outer leaves.
If you’re not sure if the leaf is tough, yank it out. You’re going to pop the whole thing in your mouth and no one wants to gnaw on a fiber-y leaf.
Next, I used a sharp paring knife to trim the stem and base of the artichoke of the tough skin.
I cut the trimmed artichokes in half…
…and dunked them in the acidulated water.
I drained the artichokes and tossed them with a nice glug of avocado oil, salt, and pepper.
I placed the artichokes on a foil-lined baking sheet and popped it in the oven for about 20-25 minutes, flipping them halfway through the roasting.
I ate the artichokes with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
The whole thing is edible since the choke hasn’t fully matured and it’s crispy on the outside and tender in the middle. Yes, it can be kind of a pain to prepare but baby artichokes are only around for a short period so suck it up.
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2021).
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
Roasted Baby Artichokes
Ingredients
- 5 baby artichokes
- 1 lemon halved
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or cooking fat of choice
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Then, fill a large bowl with cold water. Squeeze in the juice from the lemon and dump in the spent halves. Artichokes brown as soon as you cut them so dunk them in the water as soon as you make the first chop.
- Chop the artichokes about ¼ of the way from the top and remove all the tough outer leaves.
- Use a sharp paring knife to trim the stem and base of the artichoke of the tough skin.
- Cut the trimmed artichokes in half and dump them in the bowl of lemon water.
- Drain the artichokes and dump them in a bowl. Toss the artichokes with a tablespoon of avocado oil, salt, and pepper.
- Place the artichokes on a foil-lined baking sheet and pop it in the oven for about 20-25 minutes, flipping them halfway through the roasting.
- Take them out of the oven and squeeze some fresh lemon juice on top.
Susan O says
Recipe was easy to follow, and delicious. Artichokes are good for liver function, high blood pressure and are loaded with antioxidants (which is strange, given they oxidize so quickly when cut). Like the skin on an apple, the leaves are sturdy and protect the meaty bits. So chew away at those leaves (within reason). For the artichoke novices, it’s acceptable to toss or scrape the meat off the tough outer leaves with your teeth (think edamame).
This is only the second time I’ve made artichokes, but I can eat an entire jar of Kirkland preserved artichokes on my own (back when they came in the giant jar, too). When I saw fresh ‘chokes at Trader Joe’s, I was overcome by their beauty and had to have them. Thanks for the recipe, PNN! I’m planning to grow them in the garden this year.