ARTICHOKES - baked, not steamed

Artichokes are so delicious now and they are plentiful in the markets, even at Costco.  And, the good news is they are on the "safe list" of produce that need not be organically grown.  (Always wash and scrub lightly all vegetables whether they are organic or not.  Then pat them dry before further preparation.)  Here's what I have to tell you about artichokes (in addition to them being a good source of fiber, flavor and nutrients, they are so healthy)!

For as long as I can remember I steamed artichokes to cook them but today I discovered baking them in a 425 degree oven. I trimmed them first, washed them well, embedded 3 peeled, smashed garlic cloves underneath several leaves, drizzled them with white white (or you can use freshly squeezed lemon juice),  EVOO and a little salt and pepper, then wrapped them tightly in tin foil . Bake for 75 minutes. OMG, they are awesome cooked this way. It's a bit more time consuming than steaming.  (If they are jumbo chokes,  bake for 90 minutes).   It's well worth the time. (The time it takes to bake them is unattended so do it while you're prepping the rest of your meal.Try  it.....it's the best.  I'll never steam another artichoke.  And, here's a huge plus about baking them in foil.  There's no pot to clean.  Don't you just love that.