This recipe bursts with Spring in the Capay Valley where it’s been known to be made at Full Belly Farm. It’s captured in Slow Food Nation’s Come to the Table © 2008 by Katrina Heron. Slightly adapted to adjust to this week’s FarmShares.

Ingredients
8 sprigs spearmint
4 cloves garlic (or 2 green garlic stalks)
2 tablespoons salt
8 small artichokes, or as few as 4 if large
1 cup olive oil

Preparation
Chop the spearmint leaves, garlic, and salt together until they become a smooth paste, and divide into 8 portions.

Trim the artichokes by cutting off the top 1″ with a serrated knife. Pul off and discard all the dark outer leaves, down to the pale yellow leaves with pale green tips. Cut 1/4″ from the end of the stem (leaving them attached) down to the pale inner core. If you’re preparing the artichokes in advance, drop them in a quart of water with a whole lemon squeezed into it to keep the green color fresh. Using your finger or the handle of a wooden spoon, flatten the center of the artichoke, making a small concavity. Fill this hole with the mint picture.

Pour the olive oil into a heavy-bottomed saucepan or terra-cotta pot and place the artichokes in it, choke-side down. Braise them, covered, at the lowest temperature possible for 1 hour. Remove from the stove and serve.

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