The Grocery Store Monopoly Game: Last Tickets Tomorrow (May 5); Coupons Expire May 20, 2020

Dates to remember, starting tomorrow:

• Teacher's Day: May 5
• Nurses' Day: May 6
• Mother's Day: May 10

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The Grilling Page

I love to grill but I'm not a big fan of grilling vegetables. A reader suggested I try grilling artichokes.

My wife and I have artichokes regularly. Artichokes are our go-to side when having a "special" meal, but we've always prepared them the old-fashioned way, like ears of corn, stove-top, boiling water.

A reader suggested grilled artichokes. I tried them last night. I will never, never go back to the old-fashioned way. These were out-of-the-world.

Three steps as previously posted:

• steam, 20 minutes
• remove the choke
• grill, 5 minutes over direct heat

Hint: don't underestimate the importance of lemon juice

Key: herb-infused olive oil; homemade in about one minute

Key: aioli -- again, "easy" aioli can be homemade in about one minute

Expanded instructions:

• Prepare the artichokes for steaming:
• use vegetable peeler to scrape the stems 
• cut one-inch off the top of the artichoke
• spread lemon juice over the cut top of the artichoke
• cut the artichokes in half, top to bottom
• remove the choke -- this is the most difficult but one doesn't need to be that precise
• Steam: 
• bring water to boil
• bring heat back to medium
• steam for 20 minutes
• Prepare for grill: 
• remove from steamer carefully to minimize artichoke from falling apart
• liberally brush cut side of artichokes with herb-infused olive oil
• sprinkle kosher sale over the cut side of the artichokes
• Grill:
• hot, direct heat;
• if one doesn't like charred artichokes, lower the direct heat
• perhaps put leafy portion of the artichokes over the direct heat with the stems over to the indirect heat
• err on side of grilling an extra minute or so, rather under under-grilling by a minute or so 

Photos:

Prior to grilling, brush liberally with herb-infused olive oil and sprinkle small amount of salt:

On the grill. I am now 100% sold on FOGO hardwood lump charcoal even if I'm not grilling directly on the coal.

Serving. Note that the stems over the direct heat are very charred (but very, very tasty) whereas the stems off the direct heat, not charred, and not as tasty, but perhaps more inviting for some members in your party.