Recipe: Italian Marinated Artichoke Hearts (Carciofi Marinati)

Italian Marinated Artichoke Hearts (Carciofi Marinati)
Source: Olive Trees and Honey: A Treasury of Vegetarian Recipes from Jewish Communities Around the World by Gil Marks

A favorite Italian way of preparing and thereby storing artichokes is to marinate the tender hearts. Slightly tangy homemade marinated artichokes havee a fresher flavor than store-bought ones, and the flavor can be adapted to your own preferences. The artichokes can be mixed into salads and other dishes, eaten alone as an appetizer, or served as part of an antipasto platter. A typical antipasto platter features various crudites, olives, tiny marinated mushrooms in olive oil, marinated roasted bell peppers, marinated artichokes, and at dairy meals, Italian cheeses.

1 lemon
12 fresh artichokes or 30 ounces unthawed frozen artichoke hearts
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon table salt or 2 tablespoons kosher salt
DRESSING:
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 1/2 lemons)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
About 1/2 teaspoon table salt or 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons red pepper flakes or 2 teaspoons dried oregano (optional)

1. To prepare the artichokes: Squeeze the lemon into a large bowl of cold water. Working with one artichoke at a time, cut off the stem, slice off the top half, and trim all the dark green areas (this will remove all of the thorny tips as well). Scoop out the fuzzy choke (a grapefruit spoon or melon bailer works well), Place in the lemon water until ready for use.

2. Heat the oil in a large nonreactive saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and saut until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the artichokes and saute until coated, about 2 minutes. Add the water, vinegar, and salt. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to and simmer until tender, about 25 minutes for fresh artichokes, 15 minutes for frozen. Drain.

3. To make the dressing: In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients and whisk until blended. Drizzle over the artichokes and toss to coat. Refrigerate, stirring about every hour for 4 hours. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

VARIATIONS
Italian Artichoke Salad (lnsalata di Carciofi):
Cut the marinated artichokes into quarters or sixths and mix with 4 ounces cubed mozzarella cheese and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried.

Italian Marinated Artichoke Hearts Mushrooms (Carciofi Marinata con Funghi):
Reduce the artichokes to 8 fresh or 20 ounces frozen and add 1 pound thickly sliced mushrooms with the dressing.

Servings: 6 to 8