Marinated Artichoke Hearts

Zia Graziella is the artichoke queen of the family. Having been raised in Sicily, where artichokes grow in abundance, she really knows how to clean and cook artichokes and use them into a variety of dishes. Cleaning the artichokes properly is 2/3 of the process of any dish. Adding the right amounts of olive oil and vinegar finishes off the preservation to create a zesty appetizer in this particular recipe.

Ingredients:
4 artichokes
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup cold water
juice of 1 fresh lemon (do not use bottled)
1 cup Olinda Ridge Extra Virgin Olive Oil
black pepper

Cleaning the artichokes:

1. Follow the method in our How to Clean Artichokes article.


2. Only cut the hearts into four pieces each.

Preparing the marinade:

1. Place 1/2 cup white wine vinegar and 1/2 cup cold water in a small pot and bring to a boil.


2. Drain the lemon water from the artichoke hearts and add them to the boiling water.


3. Boil on high for approximately 10 minutes, or until tender.


4. Dump the artichokes in a colander and leave them to drain fully, about 10 minutes.


5. Place the artichoke hearts on a paper or cloth towel, and let them cool off completely, approximately 1 hour.


6. When completely dry, dust the artichoke hearts with a dash of black pepper as desired and then place them in a jar. Cover them completely with olive oil to the top of the jar, pushing them down as you go along and making sure no air bubbles remain trapped.


7. Keep stored in a cool, dark place. Once the jar is opened, you must store in a refrigerator.

Serve as an appetizer
Yields 1 small jar