Southern Living's Grilled Artichokes & Asparagus Recipe

Southern Living’s Grilled Artichokes & Asparagus Recipe
Grilled Artichokes & Asparagus (photo courtesy of Time Inc. Home Entertainment)

Spring brings seasonal delights from the farm and great weather well for outdoor grilling. Two spring favorites, artichokes and asparagus, are best enjoyed when freshly picked. This recipe makes it easy to serve up their wonderful flavors to a gathering of family and friends.

You can prep Steps 1 and 2 the day before and place the artichokes in zip-top plastic bags in the refrigerator. The choke is the inedible prickly center of the artichoke you scoop out after boiling in water.

The recipe comes from our friends at Southern Living magazine, who have included it in their new “Big Book of BBQ: Recipes and Revelations from the Barbecue Belt.” The book is full of classic BBQ recipes from across the South. Readers can decide for themselves which region does BBQ best. As you would expect from a Southern Living publication the book is also full of mouth-watering photos.

Ingredients for 8 Servings

• 4 Fresh artichokes
• 2 Pounds fresh asparagus
• ½ Cup olive oil
• ¼ Cup fresh lemon juice
• ½ Teaspoon salt
• ½ Teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• Lemon wedges for garnish

Preparation

1. Preheat grill to 350 to 400 degrees (medium-high) heat. Wash artichokes by plunging up and down in cold water. Cut off stem ends, and trim about 1 inch from the top of each artichoke. Remove and discard any loose bottom leaves. Trim and discard one-fourth off the top of each outer leaf with scissors.
2. Bring artichokes and water to cover to a boil in a Dutch oven; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes. Drain; pat dry with paper towels.
3. Cut artichokes in half length-wise. Remove choke using a small spoon or melon baler. Cut off and discard tough ends of asparagus.
4. Stir together olive oil, fresh lemon juice, salt and freshly ground pepper. Brush cut sides of artichoke halves with one-third of the olive oil mixture. Brush asparagus evenly with one-third of the olive oil mixture, reserving the remaining third for later use.
5. Grill artichokes, covered with grill lid, cut sides down, for 10 minutes; turn and grill for 5 more minutes. Grill asparagus, covered, 1 to 2 minutes; turn and grill 2 more minutes or until tender.
6. Drizzle the remaining olive over the vegetables and garnish with lemon wedges, if desired.

A Big Book of BBQ Cover Large.jpg
To learn more about the book from which this recipe was taken (page 146), go to: Big Book of BBQ: Recipes and Revelations from the Barbecue Belt