Stuffed Artichokes

Ingredients

4                large artichokes

1 cup        chopped fresh garlic

2 cups      seasoned bread crumbs

1 cup        chopped fresh parsley

1 cup        grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup        extra virgin olive oil

                  salt and pepper to taste

Method

         Rinse and dry artichokes, then cut each stem flush with the bottom to provide a firm platform.

         With a kitchen shears, trim the spines from the ends of each leaf. Then, using a sharp knife, slice off the top of each artichoke about one quarter of the way down, to remove all trace of spines.

         Spread the leaves as far apart as you can without snapping them. Gently tuck the garlic between them, following with bread crumbs, parsley, cheese, and additional bread crumbs until the mixture is flush with the tops of the leaves.

After each artichoke is stuffed, drizzle olive oil over it, making sure some of the oil drips into the heart of the vegetable. Add salt and pepper as desired.

For cooking, choose a sauce pan in which the artichokes can fit snugly. Place them inside, facing up, and add water to about two inches from the bottom. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for an hour. Replace water as it evaporates.

Remove the artichokes and allow to cool to room temperature on a serving dish.

To eat, peel each leaf from the heart, put it between your teeth, and pull the leaf out, leaving the delicately-flavored stuffing in your mouth. Discard the leaf.

When all the leaves have been peeled and discarded, it's time to enjoy the heart of the artichoke, a true delicacy.

Hargrove has served this with a side dish of risotto (Italian arboreal rice), and he likes to add a delicate chilled Riesling wine for a perfect accompaniment.