How to make baby artichokes and fresh peas with marinated feta

Julia Platt Leonard finds the spirit of summer in the tenderness of baby artichokes from her local market

Artichokes make me think of Italy and Italy makes me think of holidays and that reminds me that I’m not going anywhere, anytime soon. So for now, baby artichokes will be as close as I get to Italy.

When my vegetable market has baby artichokes on offer I snap them up. They’re tender enough that you can eat – almost – the whole thing. Remove the outer tough leaves until you get to the tender, pale green leaves that have slight purple veining.

I chop off the top, which can be tough too. Peel the stem and slice in half or quarters, depending on the size.

There is usually a bit of rough choke in the middle but nothing like you’ll find in the larger globe artichokes. I’ve roasted raw quartered artichokes before, but I find they can crisp up too much before they’re fully cooked. Instead, I blanch them first then transfer them to a hot oven to roast them off.

I’ve paired them here with some gorgeous new season peas that are sweet enough to eat raw. The marinated feta is a nice addition but you could skip it and simply serve the vegetables on their own with a healthy drizzle of olive oil and generous squeeze of lemon juice. If you have any leftover artichokes, you can put them in a jar and cover them with oil. They’re just the ticket for an impromptu antipasti platter. Serve with a Negroni and you might feel like you’re on holiday.

Baby artichokes and fresh peas with marinated feta

Serves 4 as a side dish

9 baby artichokes
​Juice of half a lemon
​100g shelled peas (approximately 200g pod weight)
Olive oil
Marinated feta cheese
60g feta cheese
1/8 tsp nigella seeds
1/8 tsp caraway seeds
1/8 fennel seeds
1/8 tsp chilli flakes
2 tbsp olive oil 
1 tsp finely chopped preserved lemon (optional)

Preheat oven to 220C. To make the marinated cheese, lightly crumble the feta in a small bowl and mix gently with the spices, olive oil and preserved lemon. Set aside. Peel away the tough outer leaves of the artichoke until you reach leaves that are pale green in colour. Slice off the top part of the artichoke. Peel the stem and trim, if long. Slice in half lengthways and then into quarters. Remove any fuzz or spiky choke from the centre.

Place in a pot filled with water and the juice of half a lemon. Salt the water and bring to a boil. Cook the artichokes until you can slip a knife into the base easily but they’re still firm. Drain and place on a baking sheet. Toss with a tablespoon or so of olive oil to lightly coat. Sprinkle with some sea salt and roast in a hot oven until well browned on the outside – about 10-15 minutes, turning the artichokes over about halfway through the cooking time.

While the artichokes are roasting, bring a pot of water to the boil, salt generously and add the shelled peas. Cook for a few minutes, just until the peas are tender. Drain. Place the roasted artichokes and peas on a serving plate and top with the feta cheese.

@juliapleonard