16th of March is National Artichoke Heart Day

Not one of my favourite vegetables,

A little information about this vegetable for you, Confusingly, three different, unrelated plants are all known by this name. The globe artichoke is related to the thistle. Its leaves are edible, as is the bottom part of the flower, called the heart (which you can also buy canned or frozen). The Jerusalem artichoke belongs to the sunflower family and it is the plant’s underground tubers that are eaten. They are rather knobbly and irregular in shape, with a pale brown or purple-red skin. The Chinese artichoke is a perennial herb of the mint family, grown for its edible tuberous underground stems. It has a sweet, nutty taste, similar to the Jerusalem artichoke. It’s much more difficult to find in shops than globe or Jerusalem artichokes.

Artichoke Hearts Gratin

Prep 10 m Cook 10 m Ready In 35 m

This easy, all-veggie appetizer idea

is proof you don't have to make a

dish, to reinvent it

Ingredients

6 canned artichoke hearts, drained and halved

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs

1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 lemon, cut into wedges

Directions

Place artichoke heart halves on a paper towel cut-side down to drain for about 15 minutes.
Set oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the Grill. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly coat with vegetable oil.
Place artichoke heart halves on the prepared baking sheet, cut side up. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and drizzle with olive oil.
Grill artichoke hearts until browned on top, about 7 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.

NOTE

If using fresh artichokes, I suggest you cook them first and the follow the above directions