Well Hello, Artichoke

Confession. I had never done anything with a fresh artichoke for nearly 30 years of life. Whaaaat? How could this have happened? Well, my theory is that mom must not have liked artichokes, because I'm not sure I even knew what an artichoke was until I started seeing them in salads and on restaurant menus as an adult (I use that term loosely). Thanks to the 2 for $5 sale at whole foods last week...artichoke experimentation began. 3 artichokes, 3 different preps. One hungry CrossFitter.

At about 60 calories a pop, and actually a decent bit of protein considering its a vegetable...these puppies are a win. After pinteresting away for a while, and considering my typical flavor combos...here's what I came up with:
3 - white wine/garlic/lemon

1 - garlic/lemon

2 - balsamic/feta

3 - white wine/garlic/lemon

Cooking method:
Crank the oven up to 400-425 degrees. Cut the top part off, and pull apart leaves to create space so you can shove flavorful goodness in every nook and cranny (thanks to Thomas' English Muffins for that phrase) you can find. Wrap it up in foil, place on baking sheet, and roast for about 40-50 minutes. When you remove from the oven, give it another few minutes wrapped before unleashing the beast.

Results:
One conclusion that I easily made is that wrapping in foil while roasting is a must. Trial #2, although it looks gorgeous...was quite dry, therefore less meaty than #1 and #3. Lesson learned.
Artichoke hearts from fresh artichokes are SOOOO much tastier than anything canned or jarred. So good. Worth it.

Re: flavors. Based on my 3 tests, I'd go with #3, then #1, then #2. I'm wondering what other cheese might work well though. Parm? Goat cheese? I know there are loads of recipes for artichoke dips that are mostly cheese with a bit of artichoke. Regardless, I've got many years ahead to find millions of different ways to make artichokes delicious. Go try some!