Provencal artichoke ragout with tomatoes, peppers and garli

6 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
2 Lemons; cut in half
18 smalls Purple artichokes OR 6 globe artichokes
1 tablespoon Olive oil
2 mediums White onions; chopped
1 Whole head of garlic; cloves separated
1 Clove crushed slightly; and peeled
2 mediums Red bell peppers
Salt; to taste
2 pounds Tomatoes; fresh or canned, peeled, seeded and chopped
Freshly ground pepper; to taste
1 teaspoon Fresh thyme leaves; or half as much dried thyme
1 Bay leaf
1 cup Dry white or rose wine
2 cups Simmering water; as needed
¼ cup Chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Prepare artichoke hearts: Fill a bowl with water and add the juice of one of the lemons. Trim the stems off the artichokes and cut off the tops with a sharp knife. Trim off the spiny tips of the outer leaves with scissors and rub the cut parts with the remaining lemon. Cut small artichokes in half, large artichokes into quarters and gently scoop out the spiny chokes.

Rub the cut sides with lemon and place in the bowl of water as you go along.

Make a sauce: Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet or casserole over medium-low heat and add the onions. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, peppers, and a little salt and stir together for about 5 minutes, until the garlic begins to color and the peppers begin to soften. Add the tomatoes, more salt if desired, and pepper. Cook, stirring often, for about 10 minutes until the tomatoes have cooked down a bit and are fragrant.

Stew artichokes: Drain the artichokes and add to the pot along with the thyme, bay leaf, and wine. Bring to a simmer, add 1 cup simmering water, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Check the mixture and add another cup of simmering water if the liquid has evaporated. Continue to simmer, covered, for another 15 to 30 minutes, until the artichokes are tender and the leaves come away easily. Stir in the parsley, taste, and adjust seasonings.

Serve hot or cold.

ADVANCE PREPARATION: This will hold for a day or two in the refrigerator.

PER PORTION (3 small or 1 large artichoke with sauce: Calories 153; Protein 7 G; Fat 3 G; 18%CFF. Carb 30 G; Sodium 161 MG.

>From PROVENCAL LIGHT, by Martha Rose Shulman (Bantam, 1994). >Edited by Pat Hanneman 3/98

"I keep looking for and trying new _artichoke a la barigoule_ recipes, but I still can't find one I like as much as my friend Christine Picasso's.

I've included it in other collections, but it's such a definitive Provencal recipe ... yet every single Provencal person I have met has a different version. " To some, artichokes are simmered in wine with onions and carrots. In the Larousse Gastronomique, the artichokes are stuffed and braised. "Me, I'll stick to the garlicky, tomatoey version I learned to make long ago in Provence. It's the combination of garlic and peppers with the artichokes, all cooked together in the long-simmering tomato and wine sauce, that makes this good."--MRS Recipe by: PROVENCAL LIGHT, by Martha Rose Shulman Posted to MC-Recipe Digest by KitPATh <phannema@...> on Mar 21, 1998

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