Roasted Baby Artichokes, Fennel and Organic Carrots

One of my favorite ways to keep our meals from becoming repetitive is to constantly combine ingredients in new ways but use trusted and known techniques.  It's amazingly easy to do if you just use the same principles you know but throw in a new twist or flavor.   A great example of this is my "Roasted Baby Artichokes, Fennel and Organic Carrots".

Most people who cook have a repertoire of go-to dishes.  Roast chicken, for example, is a very common one.  But, instead of using carrots, onions and potatoes as your side of roasted vegetables, add at least one or two different ingredients to your classic method.  That's exactly what I did for this one and it turned out great.  The yellow, purple and orange organic carrots were so pretty that I knew I couldn't do the same old thing with them to eat with a roasted fish.  So, with a little thought -- "Hmmm, fennel roasts wonderfully sweet and is a good complement to the carrots.   Artichokes would provide a great less-sweet earthier flavor and different texture." I knew it would turn out wonderful.  This dish is so simple and a delicious mid-winter variation on the typical roasted vegetable side dish.

Ingredients
Serves 2

4 baby artichokes, peeled, trimmed and quartered
1 bulb fresh fennel, chopped
4 small organic carrots, peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
4 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon chopped
1/4 tsp. fennel seed
sea salt to taste
fresh coarsely ground black pepper to taste
1 fresh scallion, minced

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 400˚F and wash, peel and prep all the vegetables.  Cut the pieces of fennel and carrot in roughly the same size.

2. In a large non-reactive bowl, mix the vegetables, olive oil, lemon, sea salt and pepper (use everything in the ingredients list except the scallions here).  Toss thoroughly to coat vegetables evenly. Spread into a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.

3.  Roast in the oven, on the middle rack, for about 45 minutes or until the vegetable are fork-tender and have a somewhat smoky flavor from the pieces that have slightly charred on the edges.  (This is GOOD flavor, don't go for a burn but some crispy edges as the photo shows.)

4. Remove the vegetables from the oven and drizzle a little olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juices and garnish with the minced scallions.  Serve immediately with roasted chicken or fish.

A note here about the artichokes:  they must be fresh and tender for this dish to work.  If they aren't the artichokes will be fibrous and chewy since they aren't pre-cooked or blanched.  If you don't have good artichokes try another vegetable with the carrots and fennel.  Good options are beets, portabello mushrooms or Brussels Sprouts.

Comments

[Yvo]

That looks soooo yummy... I can't wait to get back into the cooking swing of things...

[Stephanie Beack]

Hey, hey Yvo!! Good to hear from you again. Where've you been?

[Yvo]

Here, there, everywhere, except in the kitchen- I was in the process of moving (and still am) and my kitchen is a real mess right now. I have a pantry though!!! which needs new shelves and then I can start putting all of my goodies away. :) Let the cooking begin [again]!

[Susan from Food Blogga]

Mmm... I love this recipe. I just made baby artichoke and asparagus risotto this weekend which I'll be posting on. Aren't baby artichokes sensational?

[Stephanie Beack]

Susan, I hope you enjoy it. Oh, yes, baby artichokes are wonderful when they're high quality! I've had a few recently that were soft and the choke had to be removed (in theory they shouldn't)so it's thrilling when they're succulent and toothsome at once.