Baked Artichokes

I recently read an article on artichokes that talked about different ways to cook them besides the usual steaming. It said you can stuff and bake them. So I tried it and WOW -- so yummy and what a great meal for company. Very impressive looking, delicious, and you do all the work ahead of time and then just stick them in the oven.

Here's my recipe:

Baked Stuffed Artichokes

4 small (4-inch) artichokes
2 slices bread, stale or toasted--ends okay
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
grated peel of 1 lemon
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Remove the bottom leaves around the stem of the artichokes. Cut off about an inch off the top of the artichoke. Snip the pointy ends off any remaining leaves. Slice the artichoke in half length-wise and use a teaspoon to scrape out the choke. Wash the artichoke well. Arrange the artichoke halves, cut side up in a baking pan.

To make the stuffing. Tear up the bread and place in a food processor with a metal blade. Process to make bread crumbs. Add remaining ingredients and pulse to mix. Dived the stuffing between the artichoke halves, filling the choke cavity and kind of pressing into the leaves. Add about 1/4-inch of water to the bottom of the pan. Cover the pan tightly and bake about 45 minutes, or until leaves feel loose and stuffing is golden brown.

Serves 4 to 8