Before this week, my first and only experience with Artichokes was when I spent a semester abroad in Rennes, France. I lived with a host family who immersed me into French culture, especially in the food department. My host mom went to the market almost every day, and we only ate produce in season. In Rennes, artichoke season was late summer-early fall. And my host mom certainly took advantage of it. We would eat artichokes as an appetizer to dinner. She always served artichokes with a vinaigrette that contained mustard.
While I lived with this family, I really tried my best to reform my picky eater ways. And certainly believed I had tricked my host mom into thinking I liked these artichokes. And I don’t really remember the taste of the artichokes because I hated the vinaigrette dipping sauce. But to make a long story short, at the end of artichoke season, my host mom goes, “Amanda, aren’t you so happy that artichoke season is over?” Busted.
Grilled Artichokes & Pesto
Grilling artichokes ups the flavor of this beautiful spring produce.
Ingredients
- 2 Artichokes
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lemon, juiced
- Cooking Spray
For the pesto:
- 12 leaves basil
- 2 tbsp pine nuts
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp Parmesan
Instructions
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Wash, cut, and clean the artichokes.
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Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add lemon and minced garlic.
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Place the artichokes face down in the pot. Cover the pot.
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Cook for 25-30 minutes, until the artichoke leaves pull off easily.
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Meanwhile, make the pesto. In a food processor add the basil, pine nuts, olive oil and parmesan. Pulse until well combined. Add a little more olive oil, if the pesto is not a smooth consistency.
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Spray a grill plate. Place the artichokes face down on the grill plate.
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Grill the artichokes on both sides for 5-8 minutes each.
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Serve immediately with pesto!
Recipe Notes
Need help cleaning and cutting your artichokes? Check out this post.
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