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I think my husband would be proud of me.  Not because I managed to get the laundry done {so he doesn’t run out of black socks to go with his suit} and not because I made a fan-tabulous dinner last night, but because I am really getting my money’s worth out of my Martha Stewart Living subscription.

First this and these too and now, this simple side dish for roasted fennel and artichoke hearts.

Oh Martha, you had me at fennel.

A few months back I made this {epicurious, thank you for posting that lovely little recipe} and in recent months have whipped up other sides and salads with fennel…perhaps it’s my Sicilian heritage that brings me back to fennel each time. Or, that and I just love its mild licorice flavor and it’s versatility.  Sliced thinly for a salad, braised in wine and chicken stock {yes, please} or in this case roasted with nothing more than good quality olive oil and some salt and black pepper.

But wait, there’s something more to this recipe dear reader.  And that something is artichoke hearts.  You look puzzled.  I cannot see you of course, but I’m guessing that you’re unsure of where we’re headed on this little recipe adventure.

So you say you’ve never met a good artichoke heart unless it’s been chopped and covered in a blanket of cream cheese and mayo, tossed with grated Parmesan and ladled into a bowl as a hot dip?  Well, roasting these little gems may just win you over and encourage you to use the canned artichoke heart in a new way.

Isn’t it great to get a little encouragement on Main St. this morning?

So here we go.  Start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees.

Then, drain 1 13.75-ounce can of whole artichoke hearts into a colander.  The recipe  recommends the Whole Foods 365 brand because they don’t come out too salty after roasting.  They’re right above the canned beans so you won’t miss them.

 After you drain the artichoke hearts, pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel and cut each one in half lengthwise.

You’ll need 1 12-ounce fennel bulb, cut into 3/4-inch wedges.  Reserve the fronds for the garnish after roasting.

Place the artichoke hearts and the wedges of fennel onto a baking sheet.  Drizzle with about 2 tbsp of olive oil.

Season with coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper before roasting.

 Here’s a little look at the seasoned vegetables on the baking sheet before it goes into the preheated oven.

Drizzle with 1 tsp of fresh lemon juice and then sprinkle with 1 tbsp of roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley.  Gently toss to combine.

Garnish with the reserved 1 tbsp of fennel fronds before serving.

I loved this dish and it meets my number one criteria for a weeknight side dish.  It was quick!  You can click here for the original recipe.  And, if you’re a fennel newbie, I’d love to know what you think of this recipe.

Roasted Fennel and Artichokes

adapted by a recipe from Martha Stewart Living, February 2012

Ingredients

1 fennel bulb (12 ounces), cut into 3/4 -inch wedges, 1 tablespoon fronds reserved for garnish

1 13.75-ounce can whole artichoke hearts in water, drained, patted dry, and cut in half lengthwise

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley (Italian parsley

Method

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Arrange fennel and artichokes on a rimmed baking sheet.  Drizzle with the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.  Roast vegetables until caramelized on both sides, abut 35 minutes, tossing after 20 minutes.  Drizzle with lemon juice, add parsley and gently toss to combine.  Garnish with fennel fronds.

Serves: 2

Enjoy your day!