Make Ahead

Baby Artichoke Crostini

May  8, 2011
5
2 Ratings
  • Serves 6
Author Notes

I went a bit wild at the market, buying dozens of baby artichokes. After eating them braised and grilled, I finally tried them raw, marinated in a vinaigrette and piled atop crisp bread. Eaten raw, the fresh, clean taste of the artichokes shines. It is important to slice them very thin, and to let them marinate for at least 30 minutes. You might top these little toasts with a few shavings of pecorino, if you like, but I think they are wonderful as is. - CozyDelicious —CozyDelicious

Test Kitchen Notes

CozyDelicious's Baby Artichoke Crostini makes a lovely presentation and is very simple to prepare. Paper-thin slices of tiny, raw baby artichokes are briefly marinated in balsamic vinegar and olive oil, then salted and placed atop garlic-rubbed crostini. Initially, we found them to be a bit stark and following CozyDelicious's suggestion, prepared the next batch with a bit of shaved Pecorino Romano over each and it made a big difference! One more note: One of our testers, weary of waiting for the mandoline, just went ahead and sliced his baby artichokes thinly lengthwise and then cut them into little strips, which also made a nice presentation. - wssmom —wssmom

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 4 baby artichokes
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
  • salt
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
  • 12 thin slices baguette, toasted
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled and halved
Directions
  1. Trim the baby artichokes. Pull off and discard the outer leaves and peel the stem. Thinly slice the artichokes, using a mandoline if you have one.
  2. Toss the artichokes with the oil and vinegar in a medium bowl. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours, striing every so often.
  3. Seson the artichokes with salt to taste and add the basil.
  4. Rub one side of each toasted baguette slice with a bit of garlic. Top the garlic-rubbed toasts with the artichoke mixture and serve right away. Do not wait to eat as they will get soggy!

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