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!
Heather @ SugarDish(Me) said:
You had ME at artichoke hearts. Love them. This is beautiful.
{Main St. Cuisine} said:
Oh those artichoke hearts. I just love them, Heather. I hope you have some fun things planned for the long weekend. My “fun thing” is organizing my kids’ artwork/school work (just a few year’s worth). Any tips??
michael said:
Looks wonderful Allison! I don’t really go right for fennel, but this year it is the vegetable that is catching my interest. Lovely photos!
Michael
{Main St. Cuisine} said:
Thank you so much, Michael. I have to say that I’ve been trying to find more ways to prepare it, which is why it keeps popping up on my blog in recent months. I’ll keep an eye out to see if you create something with fennel.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Allison
Sarah said:
It IS nice to have a little encouragement from Main St. Yes!
These are two things I love to eat, and seeing them together in your pictures makes me wonder why I haven’t tried them together yet. I love this Allison! The addition of the lemon juice is so perfect. I could make a meal out of this side dish. Like lunch. Next week. 🙂 Now, if only we had a Whole Foods….
I love that you’re using that February issue, it was wonderful. My onion confit came from there too!
Thank you so much for this 🙂
meeshiesmom said:
Allison-
Yum! I’m actually a bigger fan of Martha’s Every Day Food and find at least two recipes in there each month that we love.
Karen