Lemon-Braised Artichokes

I have to be honest and tell you that we weren’t crazy about this one. The problem is the whole artichokes. I’m a lazy cook and an even lazier eater. Whole artichokes are just too much work and not enough pay-off for me. That said, this was an easy recipe and we loved the sauce. Next time I will make the sauce and use it to cook artichoke hearts instead of the whole artichoke. From Real Simple magazine, May 2008.

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 8 sprigs of thyme
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 medium artichokes
• Salt and pepper

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large, oven-safe pot, combine the oil, lemon juice, thyme, garlic, 1/2 cup water, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Trim the top and bottom of each artichoke, then snip off the tip of each leaf with scissors. Cut the artichokes into quarters and then scoop out the fuzzy chokes. Toss the artichokes in the oil mixture. Cover, and cook in oven for about 45 minutes. Spoon cooking liquid over the top of the chokes when serving.