Few vegetables capture the essence of springtime like the artichoke, and few cheeses speak to the season like the light and yeasty fromage blanc made by cheese legend David Major with his herd of sheep at Vermont Shepherd. This recipe, adapted from Alessandro Grano in the book A Year in Cheese by Alex and Léo Guarneri, combines the two ingredients to make a spectacular seasonal dish. A few choice herbs and garlicky homemade breadcrumbs is all you need to make a light but satisfying meal for two.
Serves two people
Ingredients
For the seasoned breadcrumbs
- 3 1/2 ounces stale bread, roughly chopped (about half a baguette)
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
- 1/2 garlic clove, minced
- Grated zest of half a lemon
For the artichokes
- 2 globe artichokes
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 1/2 garlic clove
- 1 sprig of thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 3 1/2 ounces of dry white wine
- 3 1/2 ounces of Vermont Shepherd Fromage Blanc
- Sun dried tomatoes, for garnish
Method
To make the breadcrumbs, put the bread in a blender or food processor with the parsley, garlic, and lemon zest. Blitz, then set aside while you prepare the artichokes.
Start by trimming off the stem and pulling off the tough outer leaves. Spread the remaining leaves apart and pull out the innermost leaves to reveal the artichoke's heart. Scrape away the spiny hairs on top of the heart using a teaspoon, then trim off the tops of the remaining leaves.
Put 2 tablespoons olive oil in a pan over a low heat. When hot, add the chopped shallot, half-clove of garlic, the thyme, and the bay leaf. Sweat for 5 minutes until the shallot is translucent.
Add the artichoke hearts to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and pour in the wine. Add water to cover the artichoke hearts and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until the artichokes are cooked. You can test them with a toothpick; the inside should be tender but still a little firm. Remove the artichoke hearts with a slotted spoon.
Preheat a broiler. Put the artichoke hearts in a grill pan and scoop 3 rounded tablespoons of Vermont Shepherd Fromage Blanc into the middle of each artichoke heart. Sprinkle with the prepared breadcrumbs and drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Grill until the breadcrumbs turn a little darker, about 5 minutes, then serve immediately with chopped herbs and sun dried tomatoes for garnish.
