Grilled Garlic Artichokes

I've decided that my kitchen must have been pretty boring before I met Ott, A and she decided to start challenging me with her monthly Iron Chef Challenge.  Let me tell you for October, she did not disappoint as the secret ingredient was artichokes.  Now I love me some spinach and artichoke dip and my mother-in-law and Uncle M make a good one, but I had never ever worked with a fresh artichoke until now.

After searching on allrecipes.com, I stumbled upon a couple of different recipes and decided to try out the Grilled Garlic Artichokes recipe for a Latte' with Ott,A's October Iron Chef Challenge.

Grilled Garlic Artichokes
Ingredients
2 large artichokes
1 lemon, quartered (I had to substitute with lemon juice as I forgot to pick up a lemon at the store.)
3/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions

• • Fill a large bowl with cold water.  Squeeze the juice from one lemon wedge into the water.  

  
  

  Trim the tops from the artichokes.
  
  

  

  
  

  Cut in half lengthwise.  

  
  
  

  

  
  

  Place halves into the bowl of lemon water to prevent them from turning brown.  (Hint:  I dip my apple slices in lemon juice or Sprite before serving at a party to prevent them from turning brown.)

  
  
  

  

  
  

  Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Meanwhile, preheat an outdoor grill for medium high heat.

  
  

  Add artichokes to boiling water and cook for about 15 minutes.

  
  
  

  

  
  

  Drain.

  
  
  

  

  
  

  Squeeze the remaining lemon wedges into a medium bowl.  Stir in the olive oil and garlic, and season with salt and pepper.

  
  
  

  

  
  

  Brush the artichokes with a coating of the garlic dip and place them on the preheated grill.  (My kitchen adventures usually involve family, but these artichokes involved the whole family as my mother-in-law helped me with the grilling and Big Sissy took the pictures so I could run Bubby to football practice.  Remember, there is never a dull moment at this pigpen.)

  
  

  Grill the artichokes for 5 to 10 minutes, basting with the dip and turning frequently until the tips are a little charred.

  
  
  

  

  
  

  Serve immediately with the remaining dip.  

  
  
  

  

  
  

  Now I must admit, we weren't quite sure how to eat the artichokes, but thanks to our friends at Ocean Mist Farms and their website, we got a great tutorial.

  
  
  

  

  
  

  And thanks to the great tutorial and a yummy recipe, the artichokes got two thumbs up from Big Sissy which is not an easy feat and my mother-in-law used the leftover dip as a marinade for grilled potatoes the next day.  

  
  

  All in all, I'd say we conquered the artichoke with lots of help and will be trying them again at this pigpen.