Slow Cooked Garlic Artichokes

You’ve never eaten an artichoke, let alone prepared one in your own kitchen… Let’s start with the basics. An artichoke is actually a member of the sunflower family and a perennial thistle. The part that you eat is technically a flower, but we’ll just call it a vegetable and enjoy it for all it is worth with garlic and balsamic vinegar. At one point in history artichokes were popular with Roman nobility. Once you try them, they may just become a reoccurring vegetable in your household too.

Health-wise, artichokes are known to promote liver health, they also provide abundant fiber and a myriad of nutrients such as Vitamin K and folate. Perhaps more importantly, how does one go about preparing an artichoke? If your artichokes have little thorns on the end of their leaves, you can chop them off with kitchen shears, making the whole globe easier to handle. You should also slice off half an inch from the top of each artichoke and trim the bottom stem so they stand upright. To eat, pull off the individual leaves and scrape the delicious pulp off with your teeth, then discard the remaining petal. You’ll know what to do once you get to the artichoke heart.

These tasty little bites can be served alongside a variety of meat dishes, most notably with roasted garlic-mustard pork. Neither will outshine the other, they will complement each other just as they are.

Slow Cooked Garlic Artichokes Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 large artichokes (or 6 small ones)
• 4 tbsp. garlic, minced
• 4 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup – 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
• 4 tsp. olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Give the artichokes a good rinse and pat dry. Cut 1/2 inch off the top of each one and remove the stem so they can sit up-right.
2. Evenly divide the garlic amongst each artichoke and spoon it in between the various crevasses. Place on the bottom of the slow cooker and drizzle the vinegar atop.
3. Season artichokes with salt and pepper. Pour in the chicken stock, making sure there is about 1 inch of liquid in the slow cooker. Cook, covered, for 4 hours on high.
4. Cook, covered, for 4 hours on high.
5. Prior to serving, drizzle with olive oil.