Grilled Baby Artichokes with Lemon & Walnut Pesto

These petite grilled artichokes are a wonderful appetizer.

Ingredients:
6-8 baby artichokes
2 lemons, halved
¼ cup lemon juice
½ cup F&L walnut pesto
¼ cup olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Method:
1. To prep the artichokes, squeeze the juice from the halved lemons into a large bowl of cold water. Snap off the outer dark green leaves of the artichokes so that the pale greenish-yellow inner leaves are visible, then trim off the top half-inch of each artichoke and cut each in half. Using a small knife, cut out the choke and remove any prickly-tipped leaves from the center of the artichoke half. Drop each trimmed wedge into the lemon water as you go.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drain the artichokes and add to the boiling water. Boil until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and transfer the artichokes to a rack to cool.

3. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, walnut pesto, olive oil, salt and pepper. Brush the artichokes with about half of the dressing, then grill until they are tender and lightly-charred in spots, about 5 minutes. Transfer artichokes to a platter and drizzle with remaining dressing. Serve warm or at room temperature.