My mother always told me that she found the act of cleaning and preparing vegetables therapeutic. At the time of that statement, as I watched her remove hundreds of tiny, hair-like roots from a huge mound of creamy white bean sprouts destined for a hot blast in the wok, I didn’t quite get it. More than likely, I believed that she was marginally insane  for her endeavor – I was hardwired  into the “typical teen” stage, and what mom considered a zen moment appeared in my estimation to be little more than a snooze of a thankless task.

Fast forward –  a life of bustling days and equally full nights often crams my brain with what I imagine mimics the chattering din of a thousand maniacal monkeys. At times like this I’ll channel my mother and turn to the vegetable drawer for peaceful green deliverance.

Tender, sweet artichoke hearts, covered in their many-leaved layers of thorny armor, are the reward for a little bit of patience and simple knowledge of technique. Once exposed and cleaned the cooking applications are plentiful – shaved raw, braised, roasted, sautéed, fried and grilled. With a little bit of practice the preparation quickly becomes familiar routine.

Somehow, I can’t help but consider the act of thoughtful, deliberate peeling away of the outer protective layers to get to the heart as a life metaphor – an opportunity for discovery which leads to the sweetest meat of all. Thanks, Mom.

Crispy Roasted Artichokes

These artichokes emerge from their time in a hot oven so deliciously, so perfectly crisp that you would almost think they had spent time in the deep fryer. I like to leave the outer leaves of the heart left longish and not trimmed close to the base; pieces that roast to a frizzly crackling crunch which play as contrast in texture to the tender, meatier heart.

Ingredients:

2 tightly packed large globe artichokes

4 large, plump cloves of garlic peeled and halved lengthwise

3 tbs. extra virgin olive oil

Fine sea salt

Embellishments:

Minced fresh herbs

Squeeze fresh lemon juice

Grated lemon or orange zest

Red chili flakes or minced fresh chilis

Coarse sea salt

Coarsely ground black pepper

Drizzle olive oil

Procedure:

Preheat  oven to 400.

Rinse and drain the artichokes. Have ready a bowl containing the olive oil and garlic cloves. Working one at a time, cut off the top off of the artichoke about one third of the way down. Trim the stem to about ½”. Start peeling away the outer leaves of the artichoke, continuing until you reveal the pale inner green leaves. Pare ragged edges from the outer heart where the leaves were snapped off. Halve the artichoke lengthwise, exposing the inner hairy choke and deep purple leaves. Remove both with the aid of a teaspoon. Cut off any remaining thorny tips. Slice each artichoke half into four wedges – each piece should include some stem, heart and attached leaves, (any errant strips of leaves roast extra crispy – make sure to include them). As you cut wedges, drop them in the bowl of oil and turn to coat. To the artichokes, add the garlic, some sprinkles of sea salt and turn all to coat.

Tip  artichokes and garlic into a small roasting pan to accommodate them comfortably in one layer. Roast 20 minutes. The artichokes will be turning a golden brown. Give the contents a stir, and continue roasting another 20 minutes – they will become very dark and even blackened in some spots – this is what you want.

Turn out into a bowl and embellish the hearts further with a grating of citrus zest, a dusting of herbs, a pinch of chili, and a sprinkle and grinding of salt and pepper.

Plate, and finish with a drizzle of oil and/or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.