Baby Artichokes
1 Tbsp Flour
1 Lemon
Salt
Olive Oil
Black Pepper
Cut lemon in half. Squeeze the juice from half the lemon into a bowl and drop the same half in. Fill the bowl with cold water.
Clean the artichokes: Cut off the stems. Bend the outermost green leaves back until they break off. Continue snapping off the leaves until the remaining leaves are pale yellow with green tips. Cut off the top 1/2 inch of the artichoke. Trim the remaining dark green portions with a paring knife. Rub all cut surfaces with the other half of the cut lemon.Fill a 2-qt pot with cold water, 1 Tbsp flour, 1 Tbsp oil, and 1 Tbsp salt. Squeeze the remaining juice from the lemon that you used to rub the cut parts into the pot. Bring to a boil. Add the cleaned artichokes and simmer partially covered for 8 to 12 minutes, until the artichokes are just tender when pierced with a knife. Drain and pat dry.
Cut artichokes in half. If the inside of the chokes are not purplish, then it isn't necessary to remove them. Toss the warm artichokes with 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 Tbsp good quality extra virgin olive oil, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper.
