Grilled Artichokes with Lemon Aioli

Not long after I started food blogging I came across the concept of artichokes. They looked pretty interesting and I wanted to try them but it seemed that I had missed them. Not too long ago I was in the grocery store when I saw some and I picked them up right away. I had bookmarked several artichoke recipes and the one that most interested me was the grilled artichokes with lemon aioli by Proud Italian Cook. I was not too sure which bits you were supposed to eat and which you were not supposed to eat but I stumbled through it. Artichokes require a bit of prep work. First, the outer leaves can be prickly so you want to trim them with scissors. The fuzzy centers and scratchy leaves near the center are also removed. The "heart" of the artichoke is then cooked. The base of the leaves is eaten along with the part that the leaves are attached to. Although it was a bit of work to cleanup/prep the artichokes it was a fun experience and the results were worth it. I enjoyed the artichokes and look forward to using them again.

Grilled Artichokes

Ingredients:
* artichokes
1 lemon (juice)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic (chopped)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Cut the top off of the artichoke.
2. Trim the outer leaves with scissors.
3. Cut the artichokes into quarters.
4. Remove the fuzzy centers and scratchy leaves.
5. Soak in lemon water until ready to cook.
6. Cook in a pot of salted water until tender.
7. Drain and squeeze out the excess water.
8. Toss the artichokes with the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper.
9. Grill the artichokes until golden brown.

Lemon Aioli

Ingredients:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic (chopped)
1 lemon (juice and zest)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Mix everything.

Take a look at the First Thursdays: A seasonal fruit or vegetable that you've never cooked before roundup.