Artichokes Stuffed with Bulgur and Roasted Tomatoes
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Ingredients:
4 large artichokes, tems and thorns trimmed, tough outer leaves removed
1 cup medium-grind Bulgur
3 lb large, ripe tomatoes
10-12 cloves garlic
3 Tsp chopped fresh mint
Coarse sea salt and ground pepper
4 Tbsp olive oil
3-4 Tbsp chopped parsley
2 lemons, 1 halved and 1 cut into wedges
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, add artichokes and boil until half cooked, about 20 minutes. Drain and cool. In another saucepan, combine bulgur with 2 cups water. Place over mecium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the bulgur is almost tender, about 10 minutes.
Grate 5-6 tomatoes into a puree and cut the remainder into wedges. Chop 2 garlic cloves, cut 4-6 garlic cloves into slivers and leave the remainder whole.
Add grated tomatoes, chopped garlic and mint to the bulgur and season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook until bulgur is tender and has absorbed almost all of the liquid, a few minutes longer. Mix in 2 Tbsp of olive oil, parsley, and juice form 1 lemon half and remove from the heat.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Gently spread leaves of each artichoke and scoop out the fuzzy choke. Fill each artichoke with one-fourth of the bulgur mixture, packing well and mounding the top. Using about 1 garlic clove or each artichoke, slip garlic slivers between as many of the artichoke leaves as possible. Arrange artichokes in a baking pan with several inches of space in between. Fill these spaces with tomato wedges and whole garlic cloves. Drizzle remaining olive oil over all, including between the artichoke leaves. Sprinkle with juice of the other lemon half and coarse salt.
Roast until browned in spots, aobut 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees F and roast until artichokes are evenly browned and the tomatoes have collapsed and darkened, about 30 minutes.
Serve each artichoke with some of the roasted tomatoes and a lemon wedge along side, spooning juices from the pan on top.
B-man 